Here is the portion of the letter where he describes how he got the sword:
You also asked how the sword originally came to be presented. One Sunday morning I was visited by the NSDAP Kreisleiter [Nazi party local administrative official] of Mannheim and a Kreisamtsleiter [head of the Kreisleiter�s office] as well as the city�s then Police President. After a brief speech, they presented the sword to me as a commemorative symbol and sign of their gratitude. We were joined by a number of officers on my staff for a drink and then the ceremony was over. That was the nature of the event, and no Gauleiter [Nazi party regional governor] or other senior state or party official nor any superior officer was present. There were unfortunately also no photos taken.
