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Partly-printed DS in German, signed “v. Schirach,” one page both sides, 8 x 12, April 15, 1946. Document headed (translated), "The International Military Tribunal, Defendant's Application for Summons for Witness," made while preparing his defense for the Nuremberg trials. Schirach and his defense lawyer, Fritz Sauter, request testimony from Siegfried Ueberreiter—then imprisoned at Nuremberg—who had knowledge of the following facts: "1.) The visit of the defendant v. Schirach to the concentration camp Mauthausen, mentioned by the witness Marsalek in his affidavit…did not take place in the fall of 1944 but in the year 1942, at a time when the treatment of Jews in concentration camps was different from that of 1944. 2.) This visit to the concentration camp of Mauthausen was made in the company of about 20 people…The conditions at the concentration camp Mauthausen were quite different in 1942 from what they were in 1944, since in 1942 Hitler and Himmler evidently still believed in the solution of the Jewish question by resettlement, while in 1944 they apparently decided to reach a 'final solution' of the Jewish question by destroying the Jews. Therefore, Himmler's orders to Ziereis of March 1945 are of importance, since, at the time these orders were issued, the circle of listeners did not draw the conclusion that they intended to destroy the Jews, but exactly the contrary."
On the reverse, three more points are made: "3.) The visitors, especially v. Schirach, observed nothing on this visit which pointed toward cruel treatment of the inmates, toward atrocities and mass executions. On the contrary, the installations of the camp made an orderly impression and the explanations which the camp commander gave on this conducted tour were such, that all participants of this inspection trip, especially the defendant v. Schirach had a good impression of the conditions in the camp. 4.) Especially, did the visitors see or hear nothing of a gas chamber which is mentioned on page 3 of the affidavit of the witness Marsalek…5.) Besides, the statements on the bottom of page 4…are partly untrue, partly incomplete. When Reichsfuehrer SS Himmler issued orders at the end of March 1945, he did not mention one word that the Jews occupied with building fortifications, should be transported on foot to Mauthausen. In no way did he express or hint that these Jews should be brought to destruction during the transport or after the trip. On the contrary, he declared at the time, that these Jews should be fed perfectly, that they should receive the largest rations and that attention should be paid that they are in especially good physical condition." The document carries several stamps of the "International Military Tribunal." Affixed to a slightly larger sheet, with a section of the rear excised for viewing the complete text. In fine condition. Accompanied by a contemporary English translation.
At the Nuremberg Trials, Baldur von Schirach faced charges of crimes against humanity, primarily for his role as Gauleiter and Reichsstatthalter of Vienna, where he oversaw the deportation of tens of thousands of Jews to concentration and extermination camps. Schirach’s defense sought to minimize his responsibility, portraying himself as an administrator who followed orders and claiming ignorance of the full scope of the Nazi regime’s atrocities. Unlike most other defendants, Schirach used his trial as an opportunity to denounce Hitler and the Holocaust, declaring it 'the greatest, the most devilish mass murder known to history.' He emphasized the timing of his actions, arguing that early deportations occurred before the 'Final Solution' was fully implemented. Despite these efforts, the Tribunal found him guilty of crimes against humanity, sentencing him to 20 years in prison.
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