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Condolences and Funerals

Online gallery of documents relating to Taoiseach Eamon de Valera's visit to the German Legation, 2 May 1945

The gallery below consists of documents which have been selected from files in the National Archives of Ireland relating to the visit by Taoiseach Eamonn de Valera to the German Legation in Dublin in May 1945 to condole with Minister Eduard Hempel on the death of Adolf Hitler and the international controversy that ensued.

In order to view enlarged versions of each image together with its associated explanatory caption and reference number, please double-click on the image itself or on the caption beneath - the commentary also linked beneath can be double-clicked to learn more about the historical context of the document in question.

When the new window opens, click on the expand-window icon (the 'central square' in the illustration) to expand the window to full-size.

The files are also available for consultation in the Reading Room of the National Archives.

Extracted photograph from the Irish Independent, showing Herr Hempel at his desk	Irish Press and Irish Times extracts reporting de Valera's visit to the German Legation	Letter from military intelligence regarding a possible communist protest against de Valera's visit	Memorandum regarding the visits of Herr Hempel to the Taoiseach and to the President on the termination of his mission
Commentary	Commentary	Commentary	Commentary
Extract from the Irish Independent, announcing the closure of the German Legation	Letter from the Irish High Commissioner in London regarding de Valera's visit	Letter from the US Ambassador complaining about a perceived breach of protocol in the matter of Roosevelt's and Hitler's deaths	Extract from the Dáil debates, where the Taoiseach gives his reasons for visiting Herr Hempel
Commentary	Commentary	Commentary	Commentary

Introduction

Commentary on de Valera's visit