Original Item: One-of-a-kind. Few artifacts can claim such a direct connection to one of the most important judicial proceedings in world history. This is an original autograph from the remarkable Daniel Roman Nuremberg Collection, an archive of 118 signatures assembled during the immediate aftermath of World War II by an American soldier who served as a guard at the Nuremberg Prison while many of the Third Reich's most notorious figures awaited trial, testimony, sentencing, or execution.

This is a signed paper dated October 21, 1945, bearing the autograph of eight prominent German military, SS, and police officials, several of whom subsequently appeared as defendants or witnesses during the Nuremberg Trials. The document measures approximately 10 ¾” x 8” (27.3 x 20.3 cm) and bears the signatures of Hugo Sperrle, Otto Ohlendorf, Herbert Buechs, Hans-Jürgen Stumpff, Adolf Westhof, Fritz Erich von Manstein, Dr. Martin (attributed to Benno Martin), and Karl Bodenschatz.

The document consists of a single sheet bearing the German typewritten heading:

BESTAETIGE DIE HEUTIGE ZAHNUNTERSUCHUNG. 21.OKT.45

Translating to "I confirm today's dental examination. October 21, 1945."

Beneath the heading, the eight surnames are individually typewritten, each accompanied by a handwritten signature in ink. The document appears to record acknowledgment of a dental examination during the period of Allied detention and investigation of former German military and political officials. Dated just one month before the opening of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg on November 20, 1945, it brings together the autographs of several individuals whose wartime activities would subsequently be examined in Allied judicial proceedings.

This signature is part of the collection featured in the IMA series The Cache with Alex Cranmer, giving it an additional modern history alongside its considerable German WWII and Nuremberg Trials collector appeal.

Hugo Sperrle (1885–1953) was a Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall who commanded the German Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War before assuming command of Luftflotte 3. During WWII, his forces participated in the 1940 campaign in Western Europe and the Battle of Britain, and subsequently operated against Allied forces in France. Following Germany's surrender, Sperrle was indicted in the Nuremberg High Command Trial, conducted between 1947 and 1948, where he faced charges relating to war crimes and crimes against humanity. He was ultimately acquitted in October 1948. Sperrle spent his remaining years in Bavaria and died on April 2, 1953, at the age of 68, during an operation in a Munich hospital. He had been suffering from rectal cancer.

Otto Ohlendorf (1907–1951) was a senior SS officer who commanded Einsatzgruppe D, one of the mobile killing formations responsible for mass executions in German-occupied Soviet territory. Under his command, Einsatzgruppe D murdered tens of thousands of Jews and other civilians between 1941 and 1942. Ohlendorf became an important prosecution witness before the International Military Tribunal, testifying on January 3, 1946, concerning the organization and operations of the Einsatzgruppen. His testimony provided direct evidence of the systematic mass killings carried out behind the Eastern Front. He was subsequently prosecuted in the Einsatzgruppen Trial of 1947–1948, convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and sentenced to death. Ohlendorf was executed by hanging at Landsberg Prison on June 7, 1951, at the age of 44.

Herbert Buechs (1913–1996) was a Luftwaffe Major and General Staff officer who served as an adjutant to Generaloberst Alfred Jodl, Chief of the Wehrmacht Operations Staff, from November 1943 until the end of the war. His position placed him within the administrative and operational structure of the German Armed Forces High Command. On June 8, 1946, Buechs testified before the International Military Tribunal as a defense witness for Jodl, providing evidence concerning his superior's wartime responsibilities and relationships with other German military and political officials. Following the war, Buechs resumed his military career in the West German Bundeswehr, eventually attaining the rank of Generalleutnant and serving as Deputy Inspector General of the Bundeswehr between 1967 and 1971. He died on May 19, 1996, in Meckenheim, Germany, at the age of 82. His precise cause of death is not publicly documented.

Hans-Jürgen Stumpff (1889–1968) was a Luftwaffe Generaloberst who held several senior commands throughout WWII, including Luftflotte Reich, responsible for the aerial defense of Germany. He was one of the German representatives present at the signing of Germany's unconditional surrender at Berlin-Karlshorst on May 8, 1945, where he signed on behalf of the Luftwaffe. Following the war, Stumpff appeared as a witness during the Nuremberg High Command Trial on February 17, 1948, testifying about the organization and command structure of the German Air Force. He survived the postwar proceedings and died on March 9, 1968, in Frankfurt am Main, West Germany, at the age of 78. His precise cause of death is not publicly documented.

Adolf Westhoff (1899–1977), whose surname is printed as Westhof on the document, was a German Generalmajor who held senior administrative responsibilities concerning prisoners of war within the Wehrmacht High Command. He became closely involved in the investigations surrounding the March 1944 mass escape from Stalag Luft III, during which 50 recaptured Allied airmen were murdered on orders from the German leadership. Westhoff testified before the International Military Tribunal on April 10, 1946, concerning the handling of prisoners of war and the circumstances surrounding the killings. He subsequently provided further testimony during the High Command Trial in February 1948. Released from Allied captivity in July 1948, Westhoff returned to civilian life in West Germany. He died on September 26, 1977, at the age of 78. His precise cause of death is not publicly documented.

Fritz Erich von Manstein (1887–1973) was a German Generalfeldmarschall and one of the Wehrmacht's most prominent senior commanders during WWII. He played an important role in the planning of the 1940 campaign against France and later commanded major German formations on the Eastern Front, including the 11th Army during the campaign in Crimea and Army Group Don and Army Group South during operations in southern Russia and Ukraine. Following Germany's defeat, von Manstein testified before the International Military Tribunal in August 1946 concerning the German General Staff and High Command. In 1949, he was prosecuted before a British military court in Hamburg, convicted on several war crimes charges, and sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment, subsequently reduced to 12 years. He was released in 1953 and later served as an adviser during the establishment of the West German Bundeswehr. Von Manstein died following a stroke in June 1973, in Irschenhausen, Bavaria, at the age of 85.

Dr. Benno Martin (1893–1975) was a senior SS and police official who served as Police President of Nuremberg and Higher SS and Police Leader for Franconia. His responsibilities encompassed regional policing and the enforcement of German racial and political policies, including the persecution of the Jewish population. Following the war, Martin was investigated by Allied authorities and provided testimony concerning the activities of the German police and SS. Among the material collected during the Nuremberg investigations was a sworn statement dated November 26, 1945, addressing the November 1938 anti-Jewish pogrom in Nuremberg. Martin faced several postwar legal proceedings but was ultimately acquitted. He died on July 2, 1975, in Munich, West Germany, at the age of 82. His precise cause of death is not publicly documented.

Karl Bodenschatz (1890–1979) was a Luftwaffe General der Flieger and a longtime associate of Hermann Göring, with whom he had served in the First World War. Following Göring's rise to political prominence, Bodenschatz became his military adjutant and subsequently served in senior liaison and administrative positions. During WWII, he acted as a liaison officer between Göring and the German leadership. Bodenschatz was seriously wounded during the July 20, 1944, assassination attempt at the Wolf's Lair headquarters. On March 8, 1946, he testified before the International Military Tribunal as a defense witness for Göring, discussing his superior's political activities, military responsibilities, and relationships with other senior German officials. Bodenschatz survived his wartime injuries and died on August 25, 1979, in Erlangen, West Germany, at the age of 88. His precise cause of death is not publicly documented.

The collection was assembled by Daniel Roman, a member of Company D, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, who was stationed in Nuremberg during the historic trials. According to a recently notarized affidavit signed by his daughter, Roman frequently spoke of his experiences guarding detained Third Reich officials and other individuals connected to the proceedings. He described how identification photographs were posted outside prisoners' cells so guards could verify identities. Over time, some guards began removing the photographs and obtaining autographs directly from the prisoners, often in exchange for cigarettes or small favors. Roman carefully preserved these signed photographs and documents for decades, creating what is today one of the most extraordinary surviving groups of Nuremberg-related autographs ever assembled.

This collection contains signatures from individuals connected not only to the International Military Tribunal, but also to the subsequent Nuremberg Military Tribunals, including the Doctors Trial, Industrialists Trial, Ministries Trial, and other proceedings that sought to bring accountability to those responsible for the crimes of the Third Reich.

Among the most notable names represented within the collection are senior Third Reich leaders, military commanders, industrialists, physicians, and key participants in the trials, including figures such as Hermann Göring, Albert Speer, Karl Dönitz, Baldur von Schirach, Hans Frank, Julius Streicher, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Wilhelm Keitel, Walther Funk, Hjalmar Schacht, Fritz Sauckel, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, and numerous defendants from the Doctors and Industrialists Trials. Many of these men stood accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace, while others appeared as witnesses, defendants in subsequent proceedings, or individuals interrogated by Allied authorities.

The provenance accompanying these signatures is exceptional. The notarized family affidavit is supported by original wartime documentation confirming Daniel Roman's service in Nuremberg, including:

● Provost Marshal Identification Card identifying Roman as serving with the 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.
● Class B Pass dated April 15, 1946.
● Army Ration Card dated October 20, 1945.
● Permanent Pass dated May 18, 1946.
● Nuremberg transportation pass dated September 8, 1946.

Historical records further confirm that the 26th Infantry Regiment assumed responsibility for the Nuremberg Trial prisoners in April 1946, directly corresponding with Roman's documented service at the prison facility.

Many of the original photographs in the collection retain small thumbtack holes near the upper edge. While such marks would normally be considered condition issues, in this case they provide compelling physical evidence supporting the family's account that these photographs were once displayed outside prison cells within the Nuremberg detention complex itself.

Each autograph in the collection has been carefully examined under magnification and exhibits the characteristics of a genuine period live-ink signature, rather than a printed facsimile or reproduction. The signatures remain exactly as obtained and preserved by Daniel Roman over seventy years ago.

Interest in the Nuremberg Trials remains as strong as ever, recently renewed by the Hollywood motion picture Nuremberg, which has introduced a new audience to the dramatic events, personalities, and moral questions surrounding these historic proceedings. Original artifacts with direct prison provenance have become increasingly difficult to locate, making this collection a rare opportunity for collectors, museums, researchers, and historians alike.

Included with Every Signature
To preserve the extraordinary provenance of this collection, every purchaser will receive:

● A printed copy of the notarized affidavit from Daniel Roman's daughter detailing the history of the collection.
● Printed copies of Daniel Roman's wartime identification cards, passes, and supporting Nuremberg service documents.
● A printed copy of a 1946 photograph showing Roman and fellow American Military Police personnel marching outside the Nuremberg courthouse complex.

A Direct Connection to History
Whether the individual represented was a principal defendant, witness, military leader, physician, industrialist, or other participant in the trials, each autograph from the Daniel Roman Collection offers a tangible connection to the historic effort to hold the leadership of Third Reich Germany accountable before the world. More than a simple signature, it is a surviving artifact from the very prison and courtroom complex where the foundations of modern international criminal law were established.

The signature offered in this listing is the exact example shown and comes from the documented Daniel Roman Nuremberg Collection, acquired directly from the family of the U.S. Army guard who assembled it during the trials themselves.