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THE STORY OF THE THIRD REICH DOCUMENTS
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Nazi documents suitcase Years ago when authors Ray and Josephine Cowdery were guiding Americans on military history tours in Europe they would often take a few passengers at a time to a tiny antique shop in the narrow Florianigasse just behind the Rathaus in Wien (Vienna). As they arrived one day, Walther, the proprietor of the shop was throwing out a Swiss citizen, calling him “cheap”, and complaining that while Swiss people have money they often refuse to spend it.

Walther’s prices were invariably high and his shop held no more than three buyers at a time, but it held many unique treasures. Close to flea markets, the university and the government center, Walther was always buying and selling remarkable things. Occasionally, Walther would quote a very high price on an item he did not wish to sell to discourage a potential buyer saying, “Where would I get another one to replace it?”
We regret to say that early in 2001 Walther was mugged by two young men as he got off the tram on the way to his shop. He died of a heart attack induced by the mugging.
We have no idea how the small suitcase of important papers shown above fell into private hands, but as soon as the Cowderys saw it they purchased the lot for substantially more than they wanted to pay.

The contents of the suitcase included fascinating documents and correspondence from the very highest levels of the Nazi police and civil service in Wien (the second largest city in Großdeutschland) from 1938 to 1944.

There is rare material from the NSDAP, Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo), Reichsführer-SS, Auswärtiges Amt (Foreign Office), Sicherheitsdienst (SD or Secret Service), the Gauleiter, Reichsstatthalter, Hitler Jugend (HJ or Hitler Youth), Kriminalpolizei (Kripo or Criminal Police), as well as material related to Jews and their treatment.

USM has acquired all the material from the Cowderys and we have begun to post some of it on this website. Have a look!

Each of the rare lots offered for sale from this suitcase comes with an original Certificate of Authenticity signed by Ray and Josephine Cowdery.
Ray & Josephine Cowdery
Ray & Josephine Cowdery searching for
military history at a flea market in Europe.
The Cowderys purchased the suitcase full of
rare Nazi documents shown above in Vienna.
RETURN TO SS, GESTAPO, KRIPO DOCUMENTS INDEX PAGE, click HERE.