HITLER WITH CHILDREN

Hitler with Jakob Grimminger, official bearer of the "sacred" Blutfahne at a NSDAP rally, 1929.  Grimminger.  Grimminger wears the insignia of SS-Oberscharfuhrer, and the Star of the Turkish War Medal ("Iron Crescent") on his left breast.  Note Hitler's grasp on the Banner.  As his dedication to "Mein Kampf" indicates, Hitler retained a strong impression from the failed "Beer Hall Putsch", of which the Blood Banner (stained with blood of its martyr(s)), was promoted by him as a powerful symbolic representation of the small number of Nazis who fell in Munich that day.  This "first class relic" was subsequently used to consecrate innumerable Nazi banners and flags over the following period.  Best regards, JR.

"I swear by this Blood Banner ..."

Hermann Goering consults with his lawyer, Dr. Sthamer, following his sentencing to death at the Major War Criminals Trial, Nuremberg (1 October, 1946), early October, 1946.  Goering seems to have maintained some deluded hope of acquittal - or at least of a lenient verdict or sentence, for some way into the trial.  However, he quickly lost this confidence, blaming the conduct of the defences of his fellow-accused and damning testimony from secondary witnesses for his precarious position.  His conduct of his own defence, while it might be said to have been that of an intelligent man, was nonetheless highly adversarial, picking on relatively minor errors on the part of the prosecution to deflect blame.  This can hardly have helped, in the circumstances.  During the night of 14 October, 1946, Goering cheated his appointment with the rope on the following morning, committing suicide by means of a smuggled cyanide capsule.  Prior to this final act, Goering had requested the last rights of the Lutheran Church, but was refused when he refused to express contrition for his crimes.  Best regards, JR.