[HITLER ADOLF]: (1889-1945) Fuhrer of the Third Reich 1933-45. SOKHEY LEILA: (1899-1947) Indian ...

[HITLER ADOLF]: (1889-1945) Fuhrer of the Third Reich 1933-45. SOKHEY LEILA: (1899-1947) Indian kathak dancer known as Madame Menaka who spent much of her career travelling across India and Europe with her dance troupe. An interesting T.L.S., Menaka Deri, also in Gujarati, one page, 4to, Berlin, n.d. (April 1937), to Adolf Hitler ('Your Excellency'). Menaka states that she is writing on behalf of herself and members of her ballet 'to ask you if you will honour us and our country by coming to our dance recital at the Beethoven Saal Berlin on the 26th instant at 8-15 p.m.', further explaining that they have been touring Germany and 'were fortunate enough to gain 3 honours prizes in the International Tanzwettspiele Olympiade 1936' and that they are now making their last performance in Germany before returning to India, further remarking 'We should feel highly honoured if you would grace our recital with your presence and we would be most disappointed if we had to leave Germany, a country where we have been treated with so much appreciation, honour and hospitality without having performed before her universally respected leader'. With the black ink stamp of Hitler's private chancellery to the head of the page, bearing the date 19th April 1937. Accompanied by a contemporary typed German translation of the letter. Together with a T.L.S., Augst, by Martin Augst, an employee of the Chancellery, one page, oblong 8vo, Berlin, 21st April 1937, to the office of the Fuhrer's Adjutant, in German, forwarding Menaka's letter and adding that no acknowledgement has been sent. With a pencil annotation by Otto Meissner (1880-1953, German civil servant, Chief of the Presidential Chancellery 1920-45) at the head, signed with his initial ('M'), indicating that Menaka's request should be met with a definite refusal on the grounds of absence. Also including an original unsigned carbon typed copy of a formal reply from Meissner, one page, 4to, Berlin, 23rd April 1937, to Menaka, in German. Further including a few loose pages from a programme for Menaka's European tour of 1936-37 and a related newspaper article. All with file holes to the left edges and a few other minor faults, generally about VG, 9