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ALS in German, signed “F. v. Papen (v. Papen),” one page, 8 x 11.75, November 1, 1945. Handwritten letter to the General Secretary of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, requesting that his son be added to his defense team. In full (translated): "I most respectfully request permission for my son to be granted admission as an assistant defense counsel, in support of my attorney Dr. Kubuschok. During the years 1932–34, in my activity as Reich Chancellor and Vice- Chancellor, my son was constantly at my side, and he will be able to refresh my memory on many points. His address is: Captain Franz von Papen, Prisoner-of-War Camp: Stuttgart. He has completed his legal studies and examinations, but was not practicing as a lawyer. He was never a member of the N.S.D.A.P. [Nazi Party]." Backed by lightweight cardstock and in fine condition.
Written just weeks before the Nuremberg trial opened, the letter adds a personal dimension to Papen’s defense preparations, as he sought to bring his son—then himself a POW—onto the legal team. Having remained at his father’s side from 1932–34, the younger Papen could help reconstruct events surrounding Hitler’s rise to power and his father’s role during that critical period. Papen's request was granted, and he was ultimately one of only three defendants acquitted by the International Military Tribunal.
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