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 Max Amann (1891–1957), the German political official who directed the NSDAP's central publishing house and served as President of the Reichspressekammer (Reich Press Chamber) from 1933 until 1945. The paper measures approximately 5 ¼” x 4” (13.3 x 10.2 cm) and bears his handwritten signature alongside the typed identification "AMANN MAX." Accompanying the autograph is a printed black-and-white photograph depicting AH and Max Amann standing outside a building entrance.

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.

Max Amann was an influential figure in the Third Reich's political and publishing establishment, whose association with AH began during WWI. Born in Munich in 1891, he served as a senior noncommissioned officer in Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 16, commonly known as the List Regiment, where AH served as a soldier. Their acquaintance continued after the war, and Amann joined the NSDAP in 1921, becoming one of its earliest administrative officials.

In 1922, Amann assumed management of the Franz Eher Nachfolger publishing house, which became the central publishing organization of the NSDAP. Under his direction, the firm published the party newspaper Völkischer Beobachter and AH's Mein Kampf, first published in 1925. Amann played an important role in developing the party's financial resources through its publishing operations and eventually established himself as one of Germany's most powerful newspaper proprietors.

Following the NSDAP's rise to power in January 1933, Amann became Reichsleiter für die Presse (Reich Leader of the Press) and President of the Reichspressekammer, giving him considerable authority over Germany's newspaper publishing industry. He supervised the consolidation of publishing companies under party control and participated in the systematic elimination of independent and opposition newspapers. Through restrictive regulations, economic pressure, and compulsory acquisitions, the Franz Eher publishing organization expanded into an extensive network of newspapers and publishing houses. By the later years of the war, it controlled a substantial majority of German newspaper circulation.

Following Germany's defeat in May 1945, Amann was arrested by Allied authorities and subsequently provided sworn statements used during the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, held between November 1945 and October 1946. Although Amann was not among the principal defendants, his testimony contributed to the prosecution's examination of the NSDAP's propaganda organizations and the officials responsible for controlling German public information.

On November 19, 1945, Amann signed a sworn affidavit at the Nuremberg Justice Building, recorded as Document 3016-PS. In this statement, he described his responsibilities as head of the party's publishing organization and President of the Reich Press Chamber. He acknowledged the suppression of opposition newspapers, the acquisition of publishing concerns formerly owned by Jewish proprietors and political opponents, and the development of the Franz Eher publishing empire under government protection.

A second affidavit, dated December 19, 1945, was introduced into evidence at Nuremberg on January 11, 1946, as Document 3501-PS, Exhibit USA-657. This statement concerned defendant Walther Funk and his responsibilities within the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Amann described Funk's involvement in organizing the ministry and supervising German media, providing evidence used by the prosecution to establish the structure and operation of the regime's propaganda apparatus. Amann subsequently submitted a further affidavit in April 1946 clarifying portions of his earlier statement.

Amann's own postwar prosecution took place in Munich. On September 8, 1948, he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for his involvement in the 1933 assault on journalist Fritz Gerlich, editor of the anti-NSDAP publication Der gerade Weg. Later that year, a German deNSDAPfication tribunal classified him as a Hauptschuldiger (Major Offender) and sentenced him to ten years in a labor camp, together with the confiscation of his property and loss of pension rights. He was released in 1953 and died in Munich in 1957.

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.