Alexander von Doernberg – Diplomatic Passport

A significant artifact belonging to a German jurist, diplomat, and SS officer who served as the Head of the Protocol Department of the Foreign Office from 1938 to 1945 is now available. This diplomatic passport, issued on August 2, 1943, in Berlin, provides detailed documentation of his official status and travels during World War II. Alexander von Doernberg

The first page lists his passport number “1646,” with an expiration date in August 1944, later extended until 1946. His title, “Chef des Protokolls im Auswärtigen Amt,” is prominently displayed. The second page contains his biographical details, while the third page features his identification photo, accompanied by his signature in indelible blue pencil on an affixed slip of paper. Page five bears the endorsement stamp of the Foreign Office, and subsequent pages show diplomatic visa stamps for Bulgaria, the Slovak Republic, Hungary, the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, and Switzerland.

The document is bound in blue cloth boards, adorned with a gilt national eagle and titles, and includes various blind-embossed seals and a punch numeral at the bottom of the pages. While the binding is slightly split, with expected bumps and wear to the covers, it remains in excellent condition overall. Alexander von Doernberg

This group also includes a printed invitation, measuring 8″ x 5 3/4″, from Dr. Robert Ley, head of the German Labor Front, inviting von Doernberg to a reception for the “Faschistischen Partei-Delegation” (Fascist Party Delegation) of Italy on January 29, 1943, at the Hotel Adlon in Berlin. Additionally, a postal cover used by the General Government in Belgium, addressed to a “Kabinettsrat” (“Cabinet Member”) Romheld, features von Doernberg’s typed return address in Brussels on the verso, completing this historically significant collection.

In his official role, von Doernberg played a key part in several significant diplomatic events. He welcomed British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain during the negotiations leading to the Munich Agreement in the fall of 1938. The following year, he accompanied Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop to Moscow for the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in August 1939. At the end of World War II, von Doernberg was arrested by the Allies and later served as a witness at the Nuremberg Trials, notably during the Ministries Trial.

In 2005, he sparked controversy when it was discovered that his portrait still hung alongside those of his predecessors and successors as head of the Protocol Department in the Foreign Office building in Berlin.

The diplomatic passport was auctioned in July 2019 and sold for $2000.

Tom Topol | Passport History Expert & Author.
Featured in media incl. CNN, BBC, Newsweek. Awarded by the U.S. Department of State.
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