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 bearing the autograph of Baron Gustav Adolf Steengracht von Moyland (1902–1969), the German diplomat who served as State Secretary of the Foreign Office under Joachim von Ribbentrop from 1943 until Germany's defeat in May 1945. The paper measures approximately 5 ¼” x 4” (13.3 x 10.2 cm) and bears his prominent handwritten signature across the upper portion, accompanied by an inscription identifying him as the former State Secretary of the Foreign Office. His name is also typewritten beneath the inscription, with a handwritten date in the lower right corner.

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.

Gustav Adolf Steengracht von Moyland was a German aristocrat, lawyer, and diplomat whose career became closely connected with Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop and the diplomatic administration of the Third Reich. Born on November 15, 1902, at Schloss Moyland in the Rhineland, he studied agriculture and law, earning his doctorate in 1929. During the early 1930s, he became involved in German nationalist politics and joined the NSDAP in 1933. His political connections and legal background eventually led him into the diplomatic service.

In 1936, Steengracht joined the German Embassy in London under Ribbentrop, initially serving as agricultural attaché before working in the embassy's protocol division. Following Ribbentrop's appointment as Reich Foreign Minister in 1938, Steengracht transferred to Berlin, where he continued his career in the Foreign Office. He became increasingly involved in Ribbentrop's personal staff, serving as his chief adjutant before being appointed Staatssekretär im Auswärtigen Amt (State Secretary in the Foreign Office) in May 1943, succeeding Ernst von Weizsäcker.

As State Secretary, Steengracht occupied one of the highest positions within the German diplomatic establishment during the final two years of WWII. The Foreign Office was responsible for conducting Germany's relations with foreign governments and coordinating diplomatic matters concerning occupied and allied territories. During this period, the ministry was involved in the implementation and diplomatic coordination of German wartime policies, including measures affecting civilian populations and the persecution and deportation of European Jews.

Following Germany's surrender in May 1945, Steengracht was arrested by Allied authorities and subsequently called to testify before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. On March 26 and 27, 1946, he appeared as a defense witness for Joachim von Ribbentrop, providing testimony concerning the former Foreign Minister's activities, the internal administration of the Foreign Office, and German diplomatic policy during the war. His testimony formed part of the proceedings against Ribbentrop, who was ultimately convicted and sentenced to death by the Tribunal.

Steengracht himself was later indicted in the Ministries Trial, also known as the Wilhelmstrasse Trial, one of the twelve subsequent Nuremberg proceedings conducted by American military tribunals. The trial, held between December 1947 and April 1949, examined the responsibility of senior German government officials, diplomats, and administrators for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Among the defendants were several former Foreign Office officials, including Steengracht and his predecessor Ernst von Weizsäcker.

On April 11, 1949, Steengracht was convicted under charges concerning the mistreatment of prisoners of war and atrocities committed against civilian populations, including the persecution of Jews and other minorities. He was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment. Following a review of the judgment, his conviction concerning prisoners of war was overturned in December 1949, and his sentence was reduced to five years. He was released from Landsberg Prison on January 28, 1950. Steengracht later returned to civilian life in Germany, where he practiced law, and died on July 7, 1969.

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.