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Lot #220
Klaus Fuchs Typed Letter Signed - Rare Autograph of the Manhattan Project Spy

Rare letter signed by the Soviet Union's 'atomic spy,' convicted in 1950 for passing secrets about the Manhattan Project

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Estimate: $2000+
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Description

Rare letter signed by the Soviet Union's 'atomic spy,' convicted in 1950 for passing secrets about the Manhattan Project

German theoretical physicist and atomic spy (1911–1988) who worked at Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project and was responsible for many significant theoretical calculations relating to the first nuclear weapons; Fuchs was exposed in 1950 as an 'atomic spy,' supplying information about the Manhattan Project to the Soviet Union during World War II and after, and was sentenced to 14 years in prison. TLS in German, one page, 8.25 x 11.75, personal letterhead, January 14, 1987. Letter to Gerald Götting, the Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union in East Berlin, sending thanks for the congratulations on his 75th birthday. In part: "It is not only out of respect for my father's legacy that I always seek dialogue with Christians, but above all the realization that the participation of all people of good will in the struggle for peace is necessary, for which you are doing great and fruitful work." In fine condition.

After his conviction in 1950, Fuchs served nine years in prison in the United Kingdom and was stripped of his British citizenship. He then migrated to East Germany where he resumed his career as a physicist and scientific leader. He was later appointed deputy director of the Central Institute for Nuclear Physics in Dresden, where he served until his retirement in 1979.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Fine Autograph and Artifacts
  • Dates: #699 - Ended September 11, 2024





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