Story Of The Week: Unteroffizier Berthold Görig

Our story this week comes from Hermann Sattler of Ettlingenweier, whose great-uncle Berthold Görig fought in the Foot Artillery, Batallion XIV in the Great War.

Berthold was born on January 16, 1870, and joined the military at the age of 20 in 1890. He first held the rank of Kanonier, and on April 23, 1896, he was promoted to the rank of Unteroffizier. At the beginning of the 20th century, he returned to work on his land in Ettlingenweier, where he was a farmer. After war was declared, he joined up again in 1915.

Berthold joins the ranks again in 1915 as an Unteroffizier

Berthold's service medal and leather wrist watchstrap. This is an unusual item, which was designed to hold a watch previously used as a pocket watch

Berthold's "Schiessbuch". This book contained the soldier's individual shooting record. We can see that the Schiessbuch must have been kept since Berthold first joined the military, as his personal information, including rank and batallion, has been changed by hand.

Berthold's "Soldbuch". This was the pay book carried by every member of the German armed forces. It contained unit information, a record of all equipment issued, and other important details.

Inside the "Soldbuch". We can see that Berthold would have once again had a brief period at home to tend the land, and returned to the military on March 1, 1917.

As a successful and respected farmer in Ettlingenweier, Berthold was a highly regarded member of the local community. In March 1918, while he was in the field, the village of Ettlingenweier elected him to the office of Mayor, and the military released him from service for this purpose.

Telegram from the authorities in Ettlingenweier to Berthold, informing him that he had been elected as Mayor.

The letter from the village authorities on March 28th, 1918 to Berthold's military company, requesting that he be released from military service to take up his office as Mayor.

The approvals by the military authorities

Berthold Görig as Mayor of Ettlingenweier

While Berthold was at home serving his term as Mayor, soldiers were billeted at his house, which was a common practice at the time. A billeting note that he received is shown below.

A soldier called Stobel was billeted at Berthold's house. If Berthold had handed in the "Quartierzettel", he would have received money, but apparently he kept it rather than claiming for the billet.

In September 1918, shortly before the end of the war, Berthold received tentative call-up papers informing him of how he needed to conduct himself should he be called up. Fortunately for him, the war ended before he could be called up.

The tentative call-up papers

This Week: Karl Albiker - A Bridling Yoke In 1919 Europe

Our story this week is based on a letter from the Ettlingen sculptor Karl Albiker, discovered in our town's archive, combined with his sculptures in our town's museum and located around the town.

Karl Albiker and Oskar Kiefer, two Ettlingen sculptors, were also friends who exchanged a good deal of correspondence. After the Great War, Oskar Kiefer designed the "anti-war memorial" shown in the section List Of Fallen. During the war, he also worked as a driver behind the front lines.

Karl Albiker was born in 1878 near Freiburg. He studied with Rodin in Paris and in 1905 moved to Ettlingen, which he made his home until his death in 1961. Karl joined up to serve in the war as a volunteer in 1915, but in 1917 was severely wounded when he fell from his horse, and was declared unfit for war service in 1918.

In a letter found in our town's archive, dated November 4, 1918 - one week before the end of the war - and addressed to his friend Oskar Kiefer, Karl Albiker expresses his relief to hear that Oskar, serving behind the front lines, is well - although he would have been happier to hear that he was not in the field at all, Karl says. The war is coming to an end, the American president Woodrow Wilson is pushing for his "14 Points" postwar peace proposal to be accepted and Karl asks, how will the Europe of 1919 look?

"I was very pleased to receive a sign of a life from you from the field, after you disappeared from the face of the earth at such short notice. Of course, I would have been much happier not to have received word from you in the field. Now I can only hope that you are riding your steed somewhere in safety, where you can await the liquidation of this sad undertaking. This is not a happy time and what is to come will probably hit us harder than you out there! We all know the proverb of the pitcher that goes to the well until it breaks, but nobody could have imagined that the end would suddenly come crashing upon us at such a speed. What will the Europe of 1919 look like? I regret now that I am not a lithographer. One could have at least earned one's living as a cartographer afterwards. There certainly won't be any victory monuments now. What a terrible world! Meanwhile, we wait to see, calmly and with dignity, what bridling yoke Mr. Wilson intends to impose upon us. We are, after all, used to waiting and lobbying higher authorities. I hope to see you back here soon."

Karl Albiker (1878-1961)
Fallender Krieger (Falling Soldier)
Model for a memorial in Greiz, Thuringia, 1926
Bronze Wvz. KA 161
Ettlingen Museum/Palace

Karl Albiker, 1913
Figures, Town Park, Ettlingen

Karl Albiker, The Young River Alb
Friedrichstrasse, Ettlingen
Created posthumously in 1964/65 by Walter Rössler from a design by Karl Albiker

This Week's Story: The Soldiers Of Spessart Part 1

Our photos and stories this week are brought to us by Brigitte Weber of Ettlingen-Spessart, which lies in the hills above Ettlingen Valley. Brigitte's uncles Josef Martus and Albert Fang both fought and died in Laffaux on the Western Front. Friends and acquaintances from Spessart often sent postcards and photos from the front, and the family also collected the memorial cards of those who had fallen.






The memorial at Spessart to those who fell in the Great War

The names of the fallen of Spessart in the form of a prayerbook leaflet

Those who fell from Spessart's choral society

Brigitte's Uncle Bernhard Fang, brother of her uncle Albert Fang, who fell at Laffaux. Bernhard served in the Reserve Batallion of the Foot Artillery Regiment No. 14 at the Western Front. He survived the war and went on to have four children and twenty-three grandchildren.

A postcard from the front sent by Bernhard on November 22, 1917.
He writes: "Dear Parents, I received your package with joy and thanks. Today I am back in the lazarett and will come out on the 27th. I don't have much more time to write. If only you knew what we are going through here. I dreamed about Albert again all night" (his brother Albert who had died four weeks previously).

Josef Weber was a young friend of the family who died at the front on April 25, 1917

Wilhelm Rauenbühler and Karl Lauinger (right) of Spessart, friends of the family.
Karl fell at the front on October 19, 1915

Story This Week: Bahnobersekretär Adolf Sattler

Our story this week comes from Hermann Sattler of Ettlingenweier, whose grandfather on his father's side fought on the Western Front at the Somme, Flanders and Kemmel in the Great War.

Adolf Sattler was born on November 18, 1888 and before the war he worked at the company Dynamit Nobel-DWM in Karlsruhe, Ettlingen's nearest city. Here, he tested and fired the weapons that were produced there.

Adolf's own weapon, a 7.92 mm caliber 1898 Mauser model, with bayonet attached



Adolf was a Bahnobersekretär (Senior Railway Secretary) in the Badische Feldartillerie in a Rastatt regiment. He earned the Kriegsverdienstkreuz (medal for war service in Baden).

Adolf's steel helmet. In 1916, steel helmets were introduced at the front, and in 1918, this camouflage painting (known as Tarnbemalung in German) was added.










Adolf survived the war and subsequently worked for the railways, both at Ettlingen-Bruchhausen and Rastatt. He died on October 14, 1956.

Hermann has also provided us with the memorial cards of two other soldiers from Ettlingenweier who served with Adolf and who fell at the Western Front:

Josef Vielsäcker, who held the rank of Pionier. Josef was born on May 28, 1898 in Ettlingenweier and fell on October 20, 1917 in St. August, France

The memorial cards were distributed in church and contained a "Nachlassgebet" ("abatement" prayer), intended to reduce the number of days that the soldier had to suffer in Purgatory for his actions in battle.

Emil Speck served in the 94th Infantry Regiment as an officer (lieutenant and company commander) and was born on June 18, 1896. He fell at the Western Front at the Somme on May 1st, 1917 and lies buried at Selvien in France.

This Week's Story: Musketeer Albert Fang

Our story this week comes from Brigitte Weber of Ettlingen-Spessart. Her uncle Albert Fang, born on January 7, 1897 in Spessart, fought on the Western Front during the Great War. Albert fought with the Infantry Regiment No. 111 and held the rank of Musketeer.

Musketeer Albert Fang, January 7, 1897 - October 20, 1917

This photo, sent home to his family, shows Albert with his fellow soldiers in front of their dugout. Albert is standing at the far left, marked by the X. The other X marks a friend of his also known to his family.
The soldiers have hung up a sign "Villa Gansrieme" outside the dugout, which is the name they have given to their trench home.






Albert fell at the Western Front in the tiny village of Laffaux, France, on October 20, 1917, at the age of 20.

Albert's memorial card.
Baden is predominantly Catholic. It was believed that soldiers had to suffer in Purgatory for their actions in war. The memorial cards were distributed in church after the mass, and contained a "Nachlassgebet" ("abatement" prayer), intended to reduce the number of days that the soldier had to spend in Purgatory for these actions.

This Week: Privates Leopold Maisch and Robert Laub

This week our story comes from Mathilde Heinrichs (born Laub) of Ettlingen-Spessart. Both Mathilde's grandfathers served at the Western Front as privates in the Great War.

Leopold Maisch, the father of Mathilde's mother, was born on August 17, 1888 in Ettlingen-Oberweier. He was married to Rosa, who worked as a midwife. Their daughter Hedwig was Mathilde's mother.

Leopold in uniform with his wife Rosa, a midwife, and daughter Rosa (Mathilde's aunt)

After the war, Leopold worked for the German railways and died in Ettlingen-Oberweier on January 1, 1975.










Mathilde's father's father, Robert Laub, was born on August 13, 1884 to Maria Laub (1844-1924) and Johann Laub (1835-1916).

He is shown in this photo together with his parents.

Upon returning home, Robert received the official letter of thanks presented to all the soldiers from Baden who had fought in the War, from "The Temporary People's Government of Baden", on November 16, 1918. Although it states that it is signed by "The President", it bears 11 signatures.

The Kaiser had fled to Holland, and Germany had become a republic. The country was in the hands of workers' and soldiers' councils.

The letter contains the line "Späte Jahrhunderte werden noch von Eurem Ruhme sprechen" - "You will be renowned for hundreds of years to come", which is an interesting quote in light of the centenary of the Great War this year.










In addition to his work as a gardener, Robert was very active as a paramedic for the town of Ettlingen in a Red Cross-type organization.

He died on January 29, 1953.

This Week's Story: Vizefeldwebel Joseph Martus

This week our story comes from Brigitte Weber of Ettlingen-Spessart, and is an extraordinary tale of her two uncles.

Albert Fang, Brigitte's father's brother, was born in Spessart in 1897 and fell in Laffaux, France, on the western front, in 1917. Joseph Martus, Brigitte's mother's brother, was also born in Spessart in 1898 and likewise fell in Laffaux, France in 1918.

The two men, who had never met each other, thus fell in the same tiny village in France one year apart, and at the same age. Their siblings, who had not known each other during the Great War either, subsequently married.

In 2008, Laffaux had a population of 139.

We focus this week on Joseph Martus, Brigitte's uncle on her mother's side. Joseph was born on August 12, 1898 and joined up to fight in 1914 at the age of 16. He rose to the rank of Vizefeldwebel (Senior NCO) and was considered to be a candidate for officer. He served with the 1st MG Company of the Grenadierregiment No. 1 Kronprinz.

Vizefeldwebel Joseph Martus
Served at the western front and died on September 13, 1918 at the age of 20 at Laffaux, France

Joseph spent some time in the lazaret (small military hospital)
Here he is shown (marked by the X) with other recovering soldiers and sanitary staff

Joseph's "Sterbeurkunde" (death certificate), sent home to his parents

 



The little wooden box sent home to Joseph's parents after his death, and containing his medals and his identification tag. The box had a small relief of the Kaiser on the cover.

Joseph's identification tag. It gives his name, date and place of birth and his batallion:
Joseph Martus, Spessart, Baden, 12.8.98
8th reserve batallion, infantry regiment 43, 8th company, no. 3165

 

Josephs' medals - the brown one is a jubilee medal for the Grand Duke of Baden

Joseph's iron cross and service medal

 

Another service medal - "Für Verdienst"

Story Of The Week: Unteroffizier Rudolf Kessler

Our story this week comes from Rolf Kessler of Ettlingen Town, whose father Rudolf Kessler served as an Unteroffizier in the Badische Leib-Grenadier Regiment 109 in the Great War. This regiment belonged to the XIVth Infantry Corps and was the local regiment of Karlsruhe, Ettlingen's nearest city.

Rudolf was born on April 29, 1897 and went to school at the Kant Gymnasium in Karlsruhe. Upon leaving school, he joined the military and was called up to fight in 1916.

Rudolf Kessler, 1897-1962
Served as an Unteroffizier on the Western Front near Verdun

Some of Rudolf's personal possessions from the Great War, including his boots and a hand grenade, can be viewed here under Memorabilia












After a period of training at the recruit training center at Heuberg, Rolf was sent to the Western Front. He was severely injured twice: once with two shots in his upper arm and shell splinters in his lower leg, and once at the beginning of 1918 with a head injury behind his ear. The second time, he remembered that the medic who fetched him said "He won't make it". He was admitted to the lazaret, where he remained until the end of the war.

Rudolf died in 1962.

The Leib-Grenadiers at the barracks in Karlsruhe

Eyes right
Early one morning in a field on the Western Front
The troops march past commanding officers

Rudolf writes as a caption to this photo, dated December 3, 1917:
"Our storm troops before driving out on a reconnaissance mission at Kanonenberg. The x shows our regiment commander".

The regiment commander was General von Stein who is standing to the right of this photo, above the x

Rudolf was awarded the silver "Verdienst" medal (service medal) on November 12, 1917.

Together with the medal, he was also presented with this accompanying certificate from the Grand Duke of Baden (Grossherzog von Baden).

The Grand Duchy of Baden was the state to which Ettlingen belonged, and it existed between 1806 and 1918.

Story Of The Week: The Kriegsbekleidungsamt

During the Great War, the Kriegsbekleidungsamt (War Clothing Office) was the military department responsible for providing clothing to the soldiers and military personnel. At the outbreak of war in 1914, the organization was called simply the Bekleidungsamt (Clothing Office) but changed its name at mobilization. During the war, all army corps had their own Kriegsbekleidungsamt, each with several thousand men, and apart from the section that issued clothing (Bekleidungskompanie), also included a tailoring section (Zuschneidekompanie) as well as a section responsible for repairs (Bekleidungsinstandsetzungskompanie).

On September 3, 1918, shortly before the end of the war, Tor Kiefer, our young doctor at the eastern front, writes a letter to the Kriegsbekleidungsamt of the XIVth Army Corps requesting a list of items of clothing:

1 army cap
2 shirts
2 pairs of socks
2 handkerchiefs
1 towel
1 coat
1 woollen undervest
1 necktie
1 pair of long trousers
1 army shirt

Tor has lost most of his clothes in a shell attack. "I am therefore in a state of emergency", Tor writes, "which is why the troop unit has issued the statement attached".

He writes the numbers of his attached clothing coupons "Kleiderkarte III, 12328"








The statement attached is signed by the Oberleutnant of Tor's batallion, and requests the Bekleidungsamt of the XIVth Army Corps to issue the requested clothing to its senior physician Dr. Kiefer. At this point, Tor is 29 years old. At the start of the war in 1914, he was a junior doctor working under a medical officer.

Statement from Tor's batallion

Tor's clothing coupons sent with his letter, "Kleiderkarte III, 12328". They are marked "Valid for 1918".

These coupons entitle Tor to:
1 necktie
2 handkerchiefs and
1 towel

Story This Week: Private Karl Friedrich Baader

This week's story is brought to us by retired parson Engelbert Baader of Ettlingen Town. Engelbert's father Karl Friedrich Baader was born on July 18, 1898 and served as a private in the Great War.

Karl kept a diary during his time at the front and some excerpts from this diary will be shown in the section Diaries.

Karl was working as a lathe operator at the company Lorenz in Ettlingen when the war started. In his diary, he writes "I worked as an apprentice until August 1914, when the war broke out. I wanted to sign up as a volunteer, but Father wouldn't allow it".

After his 18th birthday, Karl was finally able to sign up and in November 1916 he was sent to Emmendingen in South Baden for recruit training. On May 29, 1917, his unit set off for the battlefields, and on the next day, the unit was greeted personally by the Grand Duke of Baden in Mannheim. On May 31st, 1917, Karl arrived in Beverloo in Flanders, on the western front. In his diary, Karl describes this as "the Algiers of the German foreign legion".

Karl belonged to the 38th Infantry Division of the "94" Thüringen Regiment, which was located in Flanders. In his diary, Karl records that the unit was in Merpen near Antwerp in early August of 1917 and positioned forces in late August. By September 5, 1917, they had been on the front continuously for six days.





Karl was brought to the lazaret (small military hospital) on several occasions, the first on October 23, 1917, when he was shot in the left hand. Barely back in the field, he was sent back to the lazaret in November 1917 with appendicitis. Interestingly, such a large number of the men were suffering from appendicitis that the lazaret undertook several tests to find out if there was a common cause. We have no information regarding the results of these tests.

In December 1917, Karl was back at the front in Flanders, at Passchendaele. The Battle of Passchendaele, or the Third Battle of Ypres, had taken place between July and November 1917, and the conditions had been among the worst of the war. On December 1, 1917, Karl writes of Passchendaele in his diary, "Our position is lousy. Many a soldier falls into the Flanders mud and dies a miserable death". The heavy rain and mud at Passchendaele were notorious, made movement difficult and little artillery could be brought very close to the front as a result.

In July 1918, Karl was positioned near Lille and at the end of August he was at Colmar.

In his diary entry of August 29, 1918, Karl writes that everyone is returning from the Battle of the Somme. This was the Second Battle of the Somme, which resulted in heavy casualities and losses. Karl records "When you think how very many have fallen, then it makes you very sad. My general impression is that something has gone very wrong. Nobody wants to follow orders properly any more. How will it all end?"

On September 1, 1918, Karl was once again in the lazaret with a shot in his upper leg. As a result, he was sent to a lazaret in the Rhineland in Germany, where he stayed until the end of the war in November 1918.

Karl died on March 1, 1960.