Franz von Papen Signed Letter 1957 – Adenauer, Tito & Gomułka, Wernher von Braun, Little Rock

Description

This Franz von Papen signed letter is a typed letter, written in English over both sides of a single sheet and signed in ink “Franz v. Papen”. It is headed Obersasbach über Achern / Baden and dated 6 October 1957. Writing to a friend abroad, the former Reich Chancellor comments at length on Adenauer’s election victory, Erhard’s economics, the Oder-Neisse frontier, the Little Rock crisis and Wernher von Braun’s father, who had served in his own cabinet. Few post-war von Papen letters carry this much political content.

Who was Franz von Papen?

Franz von Papen (1879–1969) was appointed Reich Chancellor by Hindenburg on 1 June 1932 and served until November 1932. He then became Vice-Chancellor in Hitler’s government from January 1933 to August 1934, and later German envoy in Vienna and ambassador in Ankara. He was acquitted at Nuremberg in 1946 but sentenced by a German denazification court, and spent his last years at Obersasbach in Baden, where this letter was written and where he died in 1969.

What does von Papen say about Adenauer and Erhard?

Written a few weeks after the federal election of September 1957, the letter admits: “I have been surprised by Adenauers sweeping victory.” Von Papen attributes it to workers and middle-class voters who no longer wanted socialist experiments, and singles out “Erhard’s open-market-policy” and the high standard of living. He then argues that a separate vote on Adenauer’s foreign policy would have gone very differently, since in his view the government had no conception of its Eastern policy, the Soviet zone and the former Eastern provinces.

Tito, Gomułka and the Oder-Neisse frontier

The sharpest passage concerns the latest communiqué of Tito and Gomułka recognising the Oder-Neisse frontier, a question von Papen insists was reserved for a final peace conference of the Big Four. He calls it “a slap into the face of our Government” and writes that he would have recalled the German ambassador from Belgrade at once. Thirteen days after the letter, on 19 October 1957, Bonn did break off diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia, after Belgrade recognised the GDR: the first application of the Hallstein Doctrine.

Wernher von Braun and his father

Answering his friend’s news of a trip to Alabama, von Papen writes that Wernher von Braun’s father was an old friend and had been “Minister of Agriculture in my Cabinet”. This was Magnus Freiherr von Braun, Reich Minister of Food and Agriculture in the Papen cabinet of 1932. He adds that he knows the sons too, and that Wernher, home that summer, was shadowed day and night as a “v.i.p.”.

Little Rock, North Africa and a “long missed opportunity”

Von Papen notes that German papers were full of stories about Little Rock and Governor Faubus, and reads the crisis as a conflict between the sovereignty of the states and the federal government. He then turns to the Near and Middle East, Algeria and North Africa, which he says touched the existence of all Europe and American security. Germany, he complains, was leaving the problem to France: “A long missed opportunity!”

Wallerfangen, his pension and the Documents on German Foreign Policy

The letter is also personal. He recalls his family home at Wallerfangen in the Saar, burnt down in the war, and his wish to build anew in the old park of about 40 hectares, which the French Saar administration had made impossible. He leaves that, he says, to his son. He reports that his pension case is still pending with the Foreign Minister, although he had won a ten-year legal process that spring. He also asks his friend to obtain the latest volume X of the Documents on German Foreign Policy, insisting on repaying the price within the import limit of DM 100 (about 25 dollars). The letter closes with greetings to his friend’s wife, a joke about their new “castle” and “cordially yours”, above the large signature.

Is the signature authentic?

Yes. I have examined the Franz von Papen signature on this letter personally, as a qualified graphologist and handwriting examiner, and I consider it an authentic original signature, applied by hand in ink, not printed, stamped or reproduced in facsimile. My opinion rests on a consistent set of features, including the line quality and pressure of the ink stroke, the letter forms and the overall movement of the signature, read together with the letter, its date and its context. Our Authenticity & Provenance page explains how autographs are assessed at Autographs & Militaria.

Collector’s Note

Von Papen signatures on cards and photographs are not rare; letters that show how he thought about the world after 1945 are. Here, in his own words, are his verdicts on Adenauer, Erhard, Tito and Gomułka, Little Rock and Algeria, written days before a diplomatic break he had effectively called for. The signature is large and bold, at the foot of the reverse. For background on signed documents, see our guides on facsimile and original signatures and autograph value, and our Authenticity & Provenance policy.

Condition

• Thin period typing paper with original horizontal and vertical mailing folds.
• Normal age toning and light creasing; typed text shows through from the reverse.
• A few handwritten corrections in the text; signature in dark ink, strong and clear.

All photographs show the actual item offered and form part of this condition description.

Frequently asked questions

Is the signature original?
Yes. It is a hand-applied ink signature, examined and considered authentic by Juan García Nicolás, qualified handwriting examiner.

What type of document is it?
A typed letter signed (TLS) in English, on both sides of one sheet.

When and where was it written?
Obersasbach über Achern, Baden, 6 October 1957.

Who was Wernher von Braun’s father?
Magnus Freiherr von Braun, Reich Minister of Food and Agriculture in von Papen’s 1932 cabinet.

What happened after the letter?
On 19 October 1957 West Germany broke off diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia, after Belgrade recognised the GDR.

Historical Responsibility Notice

This original document is offered exclusively for historical collecting, preservation, research and education. Political figures and events are described only within their historical context. Autographs & Militaria does not endorse the ideologies, policies or regimes associated with any historical figure represented.

References & Further Reading

• Deutsches Historisches Museum, LeMO: Franz von Papen 1879–1969.
• German History in Documents and Images (GHI Washington): The Papen cabinet, 3 June 1932, with Magnus von Braun as Minister of Food and Agriculture.
• CVCE, University of Luxembourg: The Hallstein Doctrine and the break with Yugoslavia, 19 October 1957.