Page 27 - Winners Catalog 102

25 e Secrets, Reports, Documents and Protocols from the Archive of Rudolf Israel Kastner. 1940-50s
e shocking controversy that shook the State of Israel in the 1950s has never been answered. Was Dr. Rudolf Israel Kastner a heroic rescuer of the Jews during the Holocaust or a Nazi collaborator?
is giant archive contains about 170 letters, documents, certi cates and protocols that were given to Holocaust researcher Dov Dinur by Kastner׳s family. e documents are printed in a large variety of languages, including German, Hungarian, English, Hebrew and Yiddish. ey document Kastner׳s activities during the time that he was a member of the“Va׳ad Ezra V׳Hatzalah״ [Aid and Rescue Committee], when he tried to formulate an agreement with the Nazis that would liberate hundreds of Hungarian Jews and the Nuremberg Trials, towards the end of the Second World War when Kastner wrote reports regarding the activities of Nazi o cers during the Holocaust.
Unique features: is archive features an early draft pre- pared by Dr. Kastner for a special report regarding the activities of the “Vaad HaEzra V׳Hatzalah״ in 1946. is is important testimony since it is the only report that Kastner gave during his role as president of the committee. e draft in this archive is signi cantly di erent from what was eventually published. 55 pages, typewritten, includes era- sures and many handwritten comments and corrections. e archive provides a glimpse into the early stages of the nego- tiations. Six documents from August, 1944 feature an early text of what he planned on showing the Germans, alongside ve printed notes and leaves which reveal the source of the funding of the “Vaad Ezra V׳Hatzalah,״ the amounts that were raised and additional details regarding the negotiations.
e chief murderer Adolf Eichmann is mentioned in the archive. is includes ve reports that were authored by Kastner during July-August 1944, following his meetings with Eichmann, Kurt Becher (who Kastner later defended), Hermann Krumey and other senior Nazi leaders. A fascinating document in this huge archive features a letter of appreciation from Kurt Becher expressing his thanks for the testimony that Kastner gave during his trial, which led to his acquittal. After the praise and thanks, Becher asks Kastner - because of the trust they had in each other - for a monetary loan. Kastner was denounced and ostracized for this testimony that protected Becher from punishment. However Kastner׳s defenders claim that Becher deserved this help, because he helped Kastner liberate complete camps with Jews.
As mentioned, this archive is rich with about 170 documents from that dark era.
Kastner was murdered in Tel Aviv in the wake of the libel trial brought against journalist Malchiel Gruenwald who accused Kastner of collaborating with the Nazis. e regional court acquitted Gruenwald of most of the claims and determined that Kastner “sold his soul to the devil.״ However, in an appeal by the State of Israel to the Supreme Court, Kastner׳s name was cleared.
Condition: Overall moderate- ne. e archive is beautifully organized in two thick binders.
O/b $10,000 Est. $20,000-$25,000
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