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 Major General Erwin von Lahousen (1897–1955), the Austrian-born German military intelligence officer who served under Admiral Wilhelm Canaris in the Abwehr and later became the first prosecution witness to testify at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. The paper measures approximately 5 ¼” x 4” (13.3 x 10.2 cm) and bears Lahousen's handwritten signature in black ink, positioned above a typed identification reading LAHOUSEN ERWIN.

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.

Erwin Lahousen was a career military officer whose service spanned both World Wars and whose later testimony provided important evidence concerning the activities of the German military leadership. Born in Vienna on October 25, 1897, he entered the Austro-Hungarian Army during WWI, receiving his commission as an infantry officer in 1915. Following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, he continued his military career in the Austrian armed forces, eventually specializing in military intelligence.

Following the Anschluss, the German annexation of Austria in March 1938, Lahousen was transferred into the German Wehrmacht and assigned to the Abwehr, the military intelligence organization operating under the German Armed Forces High Command (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, or OKW). He served under Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, the head of the Abwehr, and became closely involved in the organization's intelligence and special operations activities.

From 1939 until 1943, Lahousen headed Abwehr Section II, which was responsible for sabotage, subversion, and special operations. His position brought him into contact with senior German military officials and provided firsthand knowledge of discussions concerning military operations, intelligence activities, and orders issued during the war. He was also associated with members of the German military resistance surrounding Canaris and Hans Oster, whose activities included opposition to the regime and involvement in conspiracies against AH.

Following Germany's defeat in May 1945, Lahousen surrendered to American forces in Austria. His detailed knowledge of the German military intelligence establishment and its dealings with the High Command subsequently made him an important witness for the Allied prosecution preparing its case against leading German officials.

On November 30, 1945, Lahousen appeared before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, becoming the first witness called by the prosecution. Questioned by Colonel John Harlan Amen of the American prosecution team, he testified about the activities of the Abwehr, discussions within the German military leadership, and orders involving political assassinations, the treatment of prisoners of war, and atrocities committed in occupied territories.

His testimony addressed the responsibility of senior German military figures, including Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, and described knowledge of criminal orders and operations within the German command structure. Lahousen also discussed the objections raised by members of the Abwehr leadership to certain directives, particularly those involving the execution of Soviet prisoners of war. His examination continued on December 1, 1945, and became part of the official record of the proceedings.

Lahousen survived the war and spent his remaining years in Austria, where he died on February 24, 1955, at the age of 57. 

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.