Dark-stained oak wood. Table top (dimensions 157 x 86 x 4 cm) covered with light brown leather and decorated with continuous brass rivets. Two lateral wooden boxes (dimensions 77 x 43 x 75 cm) with rounded corners, lockable doors, tinted copper fittings and large iron keys, on the left three extendable inner drawers, on the right false bottom, above it on each side a drawer (keys missing) and an extendable writing surface or storage tray. Between the boxes is a large drawer, the key is missing. Overall height 81 cm. Can be disassembled into table top, the two lateral boxes and the centre drawer. Comes with a waste paper basket of red-brown leather (dimensions 41 x 26 cm) embossed with décor and monogram "DR". Leather writing case and leather-bound notepad with identical embossed monogram. Wooden utensil box, the lid veneered with root wood, leather desk pad with inlaid blotting paper, wooden ink blotter and a pair of wooden bookends. In October 1943, the Rommel family moved from Neustadt/Vienna to Herrlingen and initially lived in a villa known as Haus Breitenfels or Martin Buber Haus, which accommodated the (tr.) "Jewish country hostel Herrlingen" directed by Hugo Rosenthal until 1939. Erwin Rommel, Commander-in-Chief of Army Group B since July 1943 and responsible for defensive actions at the Atlantic Wall since November 1943, visited his family in Herrlingen as often as possible. After having been seriously wounded by low-flying aircraft on 14 July 1944, Rommel also spent his recovery period at home in Herrlingen, where he was visited by Generals Burgdorf and Maisel on 14 October 1944, who, in consequence of his alleged participation in the resistance against Hitler, faced him with the choice of either killing himself with potassium cyanide or standing trial before the People’s Court of Justice.Provenance: Comes with a confirmation on the acquisition of the writing desk and the waste paper basket from his widow Lucie Rommel in 1955 in connection with the resale of both objects in 1963 to a lawyer. Also a deed of donation issued by the lawyer’s widow to the family of the present owner in 2002. Partly blacked-out copies of the documents can be previewed; the purchaser will then receive the unredacted original documents.Condition: II