[HITLER ADOLF]: (1889-1945) Fuhrer of the Third Reich 1933-45. [VANE-TEMPEST-STEWART CHARLES]: ...

[HITLER ADOLF]: (1889-1945) Fuhrer of the Third Reich 1933-45. [VANE-TEMPEST-STEWART CHARLES]: (1878-1949) 7th Marquess of Londonderry. British politician who served as Secretary of State for Air 1931-35 and is remembered for his 'understanding' of Nazi Germany in the 1930s. KIEWITZ WERNER (1891-1965) German diplomat who worked as a ministerial adviser under Otto Meissner. T.L.S., Kiewitz, one page, oblong 8vo, Berlin, 17th November 1936, to the Secretary of State, in German. Kiewitz states, in full, 'Attached are two letters of thanks from Lord Castlereagh and Lady Maureen Stanley, wife of Stanley, the Minister of Information, both of whom are children of the Lord Londonderry, who were received by the Fuhrer and each received a photograph of him. These were sent via Ribbentrop's embassy'. With a few holograph additions by Kiewitz and various other pencil and ink annotations in the margins. Together with photocopies of the two letters referred to (the present whereabouts of the originals is unknown), the first an A.L.S., Castlereagh, by the future 8th Marquess of Londonderry, two pages, 8vo, n.p. (London), 11th November 1936, to Adolf Hitler ('Your Excellency'), on the blind embossed stationery of the House of Commons. Castlereagh thanks Hitler for 'the honour you have done me in consenting to receive my sister & myself & for sparing so much of your valuable time in explaining certain questions to us' further commenting 'We not merely hope but intend to do all we can to promote the most friendly relations between Germany & Great Britain, which we regard as essential for the well being of Europe', and concluding 'I am particularly grateful to you for your generosity in presenting me with such an admirable portrait of yourself. I shall always keep this as a memento of a great episode in my life & in the sincere hope that the most friendly relations will always exist between our two countries', (the photocopy including an image of the original envelope) and the second an A.L.S., Maureen Stanley, daughter of the 7th Marquess of Londonderry and wife of Oliver Stanley, three pages, 8vo, Westminster, London, 12th November n.y. (1936), to Adolf Hitler ('Your Excellency'). Stanley sends thanks for 'the very interesting and wonderful interview you gave my brother and me two days ago', commenting 'It was a great privilege and I can assure you one which we more than appreciated. We have returned to England with a far better understanding of the needs and aims of Germany and a most delightful recollection of the wonderful hospitality we received' and concluding by sending her thanks for the photograph Hitler had presented her with ('it will be a treasured possession and a reminder of one of the most interesting weeks I have ever spent'). Also including a small German newspaper clipping from 30th October 1936 relating to the meeting between the 7th Marquess of Londonderry and his wife with Hitler (neatly laid down to a 4to sheet for the purposes of filing) and further including a vintage signed sepia 8 x 11.5 photograph by the 7th Marquess of Londonderry, the image depicting him in a formal head and shoulders pose. Photograph by Bassano. Signed ('Londonderry') in dark fountain pen ink with his name alone to the image. A few file holes and light age wear to Kiewitz's letter and with one corner neatly clipped, generally VG, 5

Robin Vane-Tempest-Stewart (1902-1955) 8th Marquess of Londonderry. British politician who was employed as an honorary attaché to the British embassy in Rome. Maureen Helen Vane-Tempest-Stewart (1900-1942) Wife of Oliver Stanley (1896-1950) British politician who served as Secretary of State for War in 1940. Between January 1936 and September 1938, the Marquess of Londonderry made six visits to Nazi Germany, evidently accompanied by his family on at least one of these in October 1936. During the first two visits, prior to the abdication of King Edward VIII (who the Nazis assessed as a supporter of their party) Londonderry was considered an aristocrat of real influence by Hitler. The friendly regard in which the Marquess was held in Berlin was reflected in Hitler indiscreetly informing his guest, at a meeting in October 1936 (to which the present lot relates) of his intended moves both on Czechoslovakia and Poland years in advance of these two invasions being actioned.