The Collector’s Encyclopaedia · Signatories · Government & Party
Robert Ley (1890–1945): Signature, Documents and Historical Profile
| Born | 15 February 1890, Niederbreidenbach |
|---|---|
| Died | 25 October 1945, Nuremberg (suicide before trial) |
| Key offices | Gauleiter (from 1925); head of the German Labour Front (from May 1933); Reich Organisation Leader (from November 1934) |
| Documents bearing his name | DAF and party organisation documents, certificates (often facsimile), correspondence |
| In the collection | No pieces currently available |
Robert Ley controlled the German Labour Front, the organisation that replaced the trade unions in 1933 and enrolled millions of workers. His name appears on vast quantities of DAF and party organisation paperwork, much of it printed.
Who Was Robert Ley?
Ley was born in 1890 and earned a doctorate in chemistry in 1914. In 1925 Hitler put him in charge of the Gau Rhineland-South. On 3 May 1933 he led the absorption of the dissolved trade unions into the German Labour Front (DAF), within which he founded the “Strength through Joy” organisation. In November 1934 he became Reich Organisation Leader.
What Documents Bear Ley’s Signature?
His name appears on DAF and party certificates, often as a printed facsimile, and his original signature on correspondence and appointments. See original signature or facsimile.
What Should Collectors Watch For?
- DAF documents date from May 1933.
- Printed facsimiles are common on certificates.
- Check membership books and certificates for printing errors and later alterations.
Responsibility and Fate
Ley was to stand trial before the International Military Tribunal but hanged himself in his cell in Nuremberg on 25 October 1945.
Collector’s Note
DAF documents are common, which makes them ideal for learning how printed signatures and stamps look on genuine period paper.
Related Entries and Pieces
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Frequently Asked Questions
What was the German Labour Front?
The Nazi organisation that replaced the trade unions from May 1933.
Was Ley tried at Nuremberg?
No, he took his own life before the trial, on 25 October 1945.
Are Ley signatures on DAF certificates original?
Usually they are printed facsimiles.
Historical Responsibility Notice: this entry documents historical figures and artefacts of the National Socialist period for collecting, preservation, education and research. It does not endorse or glorify any ideology, and it is written in memory of the victims of the regime.
References & Further Reading
- Deutsches Historisches Museum, LeMO – Lebendiges Museum Online, Robert Ley 1890–1945 (S. Eckelmann; last updated 2014).