Description:

Erwin Rommel
[Marburg, Germany], March 23, 1936
Erwin Rommel PSA MINT 9 3rd Person ALS On 1936 Marburg, Germany Picture Postcard
ALS

An autograph letter in German signed by German military commander Erwin Rommel (1891-1944) in the third person when writing out the name of his wife, Lucia Rommel, in the address section as "…Rommel." One of the three postmarks provides a date - March 23, 1936 - and a place - Marburg, in Hesse, central Germany. The picture postcard verso entitled "Blick auf Marburg - Lahn vom Kurhofet" depicts a panoramic view of the city of Marburg, dominated by the medieval Marburger Schloss, or castle, on the top of Schlossberg, with the River Lahn flowing in the foreground. With a cancelled green 6 Pfennig Hindenburg stamp at upper right. Encapsulated and PSA/DNA certified and graded MINT 9. Expected wear and weathering, else near fine. The postcard measures 5.5" x 3.5" while the slab overall measures 7.25" x 4.25." Provenance: Ex-Charles Hamilton.

Approximately 61 words pencil-inscribed in Rommel's hand translated by AI so accuracy cannot be confirmed at this time:

Dear Sir,
I only answered your letter yesterday. Tomorrow I will finally depart for Goslar. In the last few days I have still been partly occupied in beautiful Marburg!! I felt very well, even though I still had to adjust to [the service routine?].
With best regards and again many thanks,
Yours, Erwin Rommel.

In this personal communication, Rommel writes from Marburg, mentioning that he would soon be departing for Goslar, a garrison town where he was stationed with the German Reichswehr. His text conveys a mix of personal courtesy and military duty, noting that while he enjoyed his time in Marburg, he still had to adapt to "service routine." This brief but revealing correspondence sheds light on Rommel's interwar career, during the years when the future Field Marshal was honing the skills that would later make him famous as the legendary "Desert Fox" of the North African campaign.

At the time of writing in 1930, Rommel was a company commander in the 17th Infantry Regiment at Goslar. This was a critical period in his career, preceding his meteoric rise during World War II, when he became one of the most celebrated German commanders of the 20th century. Autograph material from Rommel before his fame in the 1940s is exceedingly rare, making this postcard an exceptional find.

In early 1936, Erwin Rommel was serving as an instructor at the Kriegsschule, or War Academy, at Potsdam. The following year, in 1937, Rommel published a treatise on infantry tactics called "Infanterie grieft an" based on his experiences directing surprise trench raids in World War I. Nine months after sending this postcard, Rommel would be personally handpicked by Hitler to serve as War Ministry liaison to the Hitler Youth. A decade or so later, then Field Marshal Rommel was compelled to commit suicide after being implicated in the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: slabbed: 7.25" x 4.25"
  • Medium: ALS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

October 8, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000