Autograph – German Admiral Otto von Diederichs (1843–1918) – handwritten, signed letter, 1907

Autograph – German Admiral Otto von Diederichs (1843–1918) – handwritten, signed letter, 1907.
Small, folded sheet of stationery (approx. 11.5 x 18 cm) with the letterhead "Lichtenthal-Baden, Kleiner Leisberg," dated May 8, 1907. The text, handwritten in ink and addressed to a lady, mentions a "deterioration in my wife’s health" and expresses dismay at the "inadequate performance of the new cook," noting that "we must therefore begin our search anew. [...] I sincerely regret that your daughter made the trip up here in vain. [...] It was clearly an oversight on the part of the servants, for which I offer my apologies. [...] Yours most devotedly, von Diederichs." The paper is browned, folded once, and has a small tear along the fold. Otto von Diederichs joined the Prussian Navy in 1865 and commanded the gunboat *Natter* during the Franco-German War of 1870–71. He was promoted to rear admiral in 1892, and in 1897, he replaced Admiral Tirpitz as commander of the cruiser division in China. Following the occupation of Kiautschou in 1898, he was promoted to vice admiral and appointed Imperial Governor of the territory. He returned in 1900, was named admiral in 1902 while serving as Chief of the Admiralty Staff, and was placed on the inactive list (retired from active duty) in August 1902.
Provenance: The autograph collection of Gertrud Hoffmann and her daughter Else Karmann – "A German Autograph Collection, from 1850 to 1967".