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ALS in pencil, in German, one page, 8 x 11.75, U.S. Government "Prisoner of War" letterhead, March 24, 1946. Handwritten letter to his wife Ingeborg, written from Nuremberg prison during his trial. In full (translated): "I thank you warmly for your letter of 13.3; all your letters have arrived, the post is now moving really fast. I have also got a card from Ursula. My little Inge, you need have no worries about my being cold. Actually, from a health point of view, things are going well, and I don't let myself make a fuss about trifles. But it is natural that the fate of our poor country weighs on me in real earnest. I believe that you managed well in turning down Walsrode in the first instance; although I personally know nothing about the subject, too many things point in the same direction. But at the outset one ought to wait. Have you got over feeling fed up and how are things with Ursula and the children? Hopefully, you have succeeded in arranging other sources of food supply. I have been deeply touched by the loyalty and constancy shown by many of my old salts, as I hear from all sides. This is no empty illusion, and the most lasting memorial a man can have is to find houseroom in true hearts. I am very glad, my little Inge, that you are so brave and energetic; your frank, loving letters are a great joy to me. Goodbye my Inge. With love, from your young man." Dönitz writes his name and Nuremberg internment address at the bottom. In fine condition.
Written while Dönitz was a defendant before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, this letter dates to the middle of the proceedings that would determine the fate of Nazi Germany’s surviving leadership. Hitler had named Dönitz his successor as head of state in the final days of the Third Reich, and at Nuremberg he faced charges arising from his wartime leadership of the German navy and conduct of the U-boat campaign. His reflections on “the fate of our poor country,” alongside concern for his wife’s food supply and welfare, offer a personal glimpse into his confinement amid Germany’s postwar collapse. Dönitz was ultimately convicted of crimes against peace and war crimes and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment.
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