Hitler's address book at Ludlow auction
Adolf Hitler's personal copy of an address book for Munich which lists him as a "writer" is to go up for auction in Shropshire this month.
The book, with an original receipt dated December 19, 1931, is expected to fetch up to £5,000 when it goes under the hammer at Ludlow Racecourse.
Hitler also signed the book which includes a loosely inserted printed circular letter, addressed in typescript to him and offering various different versions of it.
In the directory Hitler is listed on page 413 as "schriftsteller" – or writer – following the publication of his book Mein Kampf, meaning My Struggle.
That book is partly autobiographical and partly ideological and was started by Hitler when he was in prison for what he considered to be political crimes after his failed Putsch, or coup, in Munich in November 1923.
Mein Kampf was published two years later.
The address book will be auctioned at a Richard Westwood-Brookes sale in association with Mullock's of Ludlow, on August 21.
Mr Westwood-Brookes said: "This is a unique document that was owned by Hitler when he lived in Munich in 1931.
"In it are several letters from the publishers and it also contains Hitler's signature.
"It is a valuable historical item that lists Hitler as a writer because of the release of Mein Kampf.
"The book was a best seller and gave its author a decent income and during the year he bought the directory the Nazis were growing quickly and were the second largest party in Germany.
"While Hitler lived at the address given in the directory, the Nazi HQ was the Brown House in Munich. I'm sure there will be a great deal of interest in this fascinating historical document."
The Munich address book was key in his campaign to lead the country.
It was, however, damaged in October 1943 and largely destroyed in an allied bombing raid late in the Second World War.
The rubble was cleared away in 1947 to leave just an empty lot.
Hitler committed suicide in his Berlin bunker by gunshot on April 30, 1945, his wife Eva Braun also killing herself by taking cyanide.
The Munich address book was part of a collection given by Hitler to his housekeeper Annie that the German government tried to obtain for the state.
Annie fought to retain it and won a legal battle.
It has since passed down to a private German collector who is now selling it.
