GARÇON Maurice [Lille, 1889 - Paris, 1967], great French law - Lot 74

GARÇON Maurice [Lille, 1889 - Paris, 1967], great French lawyer, historian and essayist. Magnificent autograph letter signed on the Nuremberg trial. February 1946; 4 pages in-4°. FORMIDABLE TESTIMONY FROM THE NUREMBERG TRIAL CHAMBER. "You know Nuremberg, a charming little town full of memories. We like to stroll around in its ancient decor. Of all its beauties, nothing remains. You can no longer recognize your way through the clutter of crumbling materials. Some sections of the walls have resisted [...]. Everywhere there are only piles of stones and bricks, entanglements of wood and iron. ...] This desolation is the image of Germany today .... Nothing remains of the dream formed by a handful of daring men to conquer the world under an ambitious and frenetic leader. I saw them, grouped in two rows, like the dummies of a game of massacre, in the dock. They are diverse and their attitude provides a tough subject for meditation. Except for Hitler, Himmler and Goebels who are missing, everyone else is there. They turned the universe upside down and held Europe in their hands for a while. ...] Unaccessible to pity, they enslaved peoples and millions of men perished under their orders. A few days ago, a film was shown in front of them depicting the triumphal stages of their accession. They could see themselves conquering power through hard struggle. They saw themselves acclaimed by huge crowds. ...] When the film was finished and the light was restored, they came out as if from a prodigious dream and found themselves, guarded by gendarmes, reduced to the status of common criminals. In a few weeks, everything they had thought they had built for a long time was ruined. They were caught in the act and here they are, thieves, looters and murderers, who are being called to account for the crimes they have committed against humanity. ...Seyss-Inquart, a dishevelled and aged student, seems a thug next to Neurath or Admiral Donitz, distinguished gentlemen. Ribbentrop,