Wilhelm Keitel Signed Appointment Letter 1938 – Reich War Court Document

Description

Wilhelm Keitel Signed Appointment Letter – Original 1938 Reich War Court Document

This Wilhelm Keitel signed appointment letter is an original German military administrative document dated Berlin, 14 May 1938. Issued under the heading of the Chief of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, the document assigns Amtmann Max Nüske to a post at the Reichskriegsgericht, the Reich War Court. It is signed in ink by Wilhelm Keitel at the lower right and represents a complete surviving example of pre-war Wehrmacht administrative correspondence.

The Wilhelm Keitel signed appointment letter is not a signature cut, autograph card or modern reproduction. It is a full official letter with original printed and typed heading, date, recipient, institutional content, official departmental reference and handwritten signature. The document was issued from Berlin W35 and is dated 14 May 1938, placing it within the period of German rearmament before the outbreak of the Second World War.

The text is headed “Übertragungsverfügung,” meaning an order of assignment or transfer. It is addressed to Amtmann Herrn Max Nüske in Berlin and states that, on the basis of an appointment certificate dated 14 May 1938, he was assigned the position of Amtmann at the Reichskriegsgericht. The appointment was effective from 1 May 1938 and refers to salary group A 3 b.

This Wilhelm Keitel signed appointment letter has clear importance as a document of military and legal administration. It records a named official, a defined office, an exact date and a specific institutional destination. Rather than being a generic printed certificate, it provides a direct record of a civil-service appointment connected to the German military judicial structure.

The Reichskriegsgericht was the highest military court within the German armed-forces system. This letter concerns its administrative staffing and does not describe a criminal proceeding, trial, military action or individual case. It should therefore be understood accurately as an appointment document rather than as evidence of any specific judicial outcome.

The signature of Wilhelm Keitel is the central autograph feature of the document. It is written in ink in the lower right section of the sheet and is clearly separate from the typed text. Keitel served as head of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht during the period represented by this administrative correspondence. His signature gives the document strong relevance for collections focused on original Wehrmacht paperwork, military administration, German legal history and the build-up to the Second World War.

The document retains the official layout of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht office. The upper left carries the title “Der Chef des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht,” while the date and Berlin office address appear at the upper right. The clean format, large open margins and prominent signature make it visually appealing for collectors who value displayable signed documents.

Condition is good for a document from 1938. The paper shows light overall toning, small handling marks, faint folds and minor age-related surface variation. These characteristics are consistent with original office paperwork preserved for more than eight decades. The typed and printed text remains legible, while the signature remains the principal visual focus.

This Wilhelm Keitel signed appointment letter would be suitable for collectors of original Second World War-era documents, Wehrmacht administrative material, German military court paperwork, historical autographs and pre-war military administration. Its appeal lies in its combination of dated content, named recipient, Reich War Court destination, official OKW heading and original signature.

Only the original signed appointment letter shown in the photographs is included. No certificate of authenticity, envelope, file folder, translation, frame or additional paperwork is included unless expressly stated. The document should be stored in an archival polyester sleeve or conservation-quality folder, protected from direct sunlight, moisture, adhesive tape and repeated handling.

This Wilhelm Keitel signed appointment letter is offered exclusively as a historical document for research, preservation, education and responsible collecting. It does not endorse, celebrate, minimise or glorify war, dictatorship, political extremism or any ideology connected with the period.

A scarce and well-presented original signed Wehrmacht administrative document from 1938, recording the appointment of Max Nüske to the Reich War Court and bearing a clear Wilhelm Keitel autograph.