Christmas Card for 1944

4.5 x 7.5 inches (12.0 x 19.0 cms), obverse with gilt edges printed with the insignia of 'Admiral Inspector of the Fleet' in gilt and black and seasonal text in black; reverse blank, the whole housed in custom-made solander case. The seasonal text, SIGNED BY DONITZ IN BLUE INK , reads 'Grossadmiral Donitz dankt fur die guten Wunsche zum Weihachtsfest und zum neuen jahr und erwidert sie herzlich'. Grossadmiral Karl Donitz (1871-1980), German naval leader and Hitler's successor, commanded the Kriegsmarine during the latter half of WWII and is remembered particularly for his promotion of the U-boat offensive. He also served as Reichspraesident following Hitler's suicide in April 1945. Having authorised the German surrender he became a prisoner-of-war of the British and was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for war crimes (primarily for ordering unrestricted submarine warfare). Following his release from Spandau in October 1956, Donitz's reputation underwent a degree of rehabilitation and he took considerable pains to answer correspondence and to provide autographs when required (including a facsimile for historians and collectors of the Articles of Surrender which he co-signed with Montgomery). HOWEVER, DOCUMENTS SIGNED BY DONITZ DURING THE WAR YEARS ARE SCARCE.