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 Christa Schroeder (1908–1984), one of AH’s longtime personal secretaries who served in his immediate staff from 1933 until the collapse of Germany in 1945. The paper measures approximately 4 ¾” x 4” (12.1 x 10.2 cm) and bears her signature in dark ink above the typewritten identification SCHROEDER CHRISTA.

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.

Born Emilie Christine Schroeder on March 19, 1908, in Hannoversch Münden, Germany, Christa Schroeder trained as a stenographer before moving to Munich in 1930. She initially worked as a secretary at the headquarters of the Sturmabteilung (SA), eventually entering AH's personal secretarial staff in 1933. She remained in this position for the following twelve years, becoming one of the few individuals who had regular access to the German leader throughout his time in power.

As a personal secretary, Schroeder was responsible for taking dictation, preparing correspondence, and handling administrative matters within AH's immediate headquarters. Her duties brought her into contact with numerous senior political and military officials, and she spent extended periods at the Berghof residence near Berchtesgaden and the Wolfsschanze headquarters in East Prussia. Her position gave her firsthand knowledge of the daily routines, personal relationships, and working habits of the German leadership during WWII.

During the final months of the war, Schroeder was among the secretarial personnel attached to AH's headquarters in Berlin. On April 20, 1945, as Soviet forces approached the capital, she was ordered to leave Berlin alongside several other members of his staff. She subsequently returned to southern Germany, where she remained during the final collapse of the Third Reich.

Following Germany's surrender in May 1945, Schroeder was arrested by American forces near Berchtesgaden and taken into custody for interrogation. Her lengthy service within AH's immediate entourage made her a person of considerable interest to Allied investigators seeking information about the German leadership and its activities during the war.

Her connection with the Nuremberg Trials is particularly noteworthy. Schroeder was questioned as part of the postwar American investigations into the Third Reich. Records of her interrogations, together with those of fellow secretary Johanna Wolf, are preserved in the collection of the Office of the U.S. Chief of Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality, the organization responsible for preparing the American prosecution before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg.

These interrogation records contain information concerning AH's private life, his relationships with members of his staff, the Berlin Führerbunker, and the circumstances surrounding the final days of the war. The material forms part of the broader documentary record assembled by Allied investigators during the preparation of the Nuremberg war crimes proceedings, which began on November 20, 1945.

Schroeder remained in Allied custody until May 1948, after which she returned to civilian life in Munich. Her experiences subsequently became the subject of several publications, most notably her memoir Er war mein Chef (He Was My Chief), published posthumously in 1985. The book provides a detailed personal account of her years within AH's immediate entourage and has since become a frequently consulted source for historians studying the private and administrative workings of the Third Reich.

Christa Schroeder died on June 28, 1984, in Munich, West Germany, at the age of 76.

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.