The act of German surrender of 7 May 1945

Source: Musée de la Reddition, Reims

On 7 May 1945, at 2.41 am, General Alfred Jodl, head of the German delegation, signed the unconditional surrender of the forces of the Third Reich, in Reims. The cessation of hostilities was set for the following day, 8 May, at 11.01 pm.

“It is particularly symbolic that the surrender was signed in the heart of France, this country that has suffered so much, this country where we landed last June and whose armed forces and resistance movements helped us so,” declared General Eisenhower shortly afterwards.

This copy of the act of unconditional surrender signed in Reims belonged to Admiral Dönitz.

Named as his successor in Hitler’s final political testament, Karl Dönitz was president of the Reich for 23 days, until his arrest and the dissolution of the Flensburg government, on 23 May 1945.

Dönitz authenticated this copy on 15 April 1977, annotating it with the words “This document was signed on my behalf by General Jodl.”