This Week's Story: Parades and Feldmesse

This week our story contains original photographs sent from both the Eastern and Western Fronts, of parades and the "Feldmesse" (field church service).

This photo was sent by Tor Kiefer to his family in a letter dated August 24, 1916. Tor's regiment is fighting near the Stokhid (Stochod) river on the Eastern Front at this time, and is lying between Polish and Austrian legions.
Tor served in the RIR 249 and later in the RIR 250.


"Hab acht!" Tor writes on the back, which means "Stand to attention!"

"The German and Austrian officers in front of the altar" Tor captions this photo.

Tor's regiment joined the mass held by the Austrians on August 18, 1916, in honor of the Austrian Kaiser Franz Josef's 86th birthday. The Austrians were very pleased that the Germans participated in the mass. The Kaiser died 4 months later.

It was a Catholic mass, a "Feldmesse". A Protestant service would have been a "Feldgottesdienst".

This photo was sent by Rudolf Kessler to his family from the Western Front.

The troops are marching past a commanding officer. Rudolf served in the Leibgrenadier-Regiment 109.

Rudolf also sent this photo, which shows troops on parade and about to be inspected by a commanding officer approaching from the left.

Story This Week: Grenadier Nikolaus Maurer

This week our story comes from Hermann Sattler of Ettlingenweier in the district of Ettlingen, whose grandfather on his mother's side fought in the Great War.

Nikolaus Maurer was born on December 6, 1882 and joined up to fight at the outbreak of war.

 







Nikolaus' Military Pass book, which was held by his company. The Military Pass recorded all the soldier's missions, the battles he had fought in and the type of warfare (such as trench warfare) that he had participated in. It also recorded any stays in the lazaret and vaccinations (as shown in the Pass above). The "Soldbuch" on the other hand, remained with the soldier and served as an identification document as well as recording the soldier's salary and the equipment he had been issued with.

The missions, battles and types of warfare are shown here, together with dates.


Nikolaus fought on the Western Front, with the 2nd Badische Grenadier-Regiment No. 110, at the Battles of the Somme and the Marne. He was wounded twice.

Nikolaus survived the war and died on March 15, 1956.




Hermann has also provided us with this photo of wounded soldiers sitting outside the lazaret set up at Ettlingen's Palace, in December 1915.

This Week: Private Alfred Schottmüller

Our photos and stories this week once again come from 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. Brigitte's family collected the memorial cards of friends and others who had fallen, as well as postcards sent home from the Front.

A typical postcard sent home during the Great War. The theme of many of these romanticized portrayals of the Front was to let the soldier's loved one (girlfriend, wife) know that he had died "true" to her.

"Und sag' ihr, dass ich treu,
Ihr treu gestorben sei.
Es soll nicht sein, ich kehr' nicht heim
Nach Stolzenfels am Rhein".

"And tell her that I died
True only unto her.
'Twas not to be, I'll not return
To Stolzenfels am Rhein".

Alfred Schottmüller was a friend of the family and a member of Spessart's Choral Society. A photo he sent home, taken at Christmas at the Front, is shown here. Alfred is standing and marked by the x in this photo.

Alfred served with the Infantrie Ersatz Bataillon 110, which was assigned to the 28th Division of the German Army. He spent the latter part of 1914 and early 1915 in training at the 8th Korps recruit training center in Heidelberg-Schwetzingen.

The recruits of the Ersatz Bataillon 110 at Heidelberg-Schwetzingen in early 1915. Alfred is standing at the far right of this photo, marked again by the x.

In August 1918, the bataillon was stationed in trench warfare in the Champagne region on the Western Front. Alfred fell on August 15, 1918 at Maronvilliers.

This Week: Private Hermann Baader

This week our story is brought to us by retired parson Engelbert Baader of Ettlingen Town. Engelbert's uncle Hermann Baader was born on June 12, 1896 and served as a private in the Great War.

Hermann was 18 when war broke out, and was therefore able to sign up straight away. His brother Karl was also eager to join the army, but because he was only 16 their father would not allow it. However, excited by the prospect of one day being able to fight at the front, Karl visited his brother Hermann during his period of military training at Rastatt, near Ettlingen, and Schwetzingen near Heidelberg.

Private Hermann Baader in 1914 at the age of 18.

After training, Hermann was sent to the Eastern Front, while his brother Karl, who joined up in 1916, fought at the Western Front. Despite the difficult weather conditions and heavy fighting in Russia, Hermann survived and returned to Ettlingen, where he married his wife Ida in 1923. Following Ida's death, Hermann later remarried in 1936, this time to Martha, with whom he had a son.

Hermann died on June 10, 1969 in Karlsruhe.

Story Of The Week: Landsturmmann Wilhelm Kunz

Our story this week comes from our town's municipal archives, the Stadtarchiv Ettlingen. The archives hold the pocketbook of Landsturmmann Wilhelm Kunz, of Ettlingen Town. We have no photos of Wilhelm, and, as his papers have been submitted to the archives, he appears to have no living relatives. However, we have been able to discover a number of details based on the pocketbook and official records.

Landsturmmann Wilhelm Kunz's pocketbook (Notizbuch)

Wilhelm was born on February 4, 1874 in Ettlingen Town. He first entered the army at the age of 22 on October 14, 1896, when he joined the ranks of the 12th Company, IR 113 in Freiburg. In 1899, he left the army to get married.

Extract from Wilhelm's "Soldbuch", showing details of his military history

Wilhelm had trained to be a carpenter, and he took up this trade when he married Josefine Rosa, with whom he lived in the Schöllbronnerstrasse in Ettlingen.

Wilhelm and Josefine had three children together: Rosa, Wilhelm and Elise.

Wilhelm returned to the army on June 25, 1915. This time, he joined the 3rd Company of the Armierungsbataillon No. 114, with whom he served at the Eastern Front in Russian Poland until January 10, 1916.

During the Great War, the Armierungsbataillons were pioneer-type troops of the German army. They were deployed primarily to set up defence systems and trenches, but also streets and border fortifications.

The photo above shows an extract from Wilhelm's "Militärpass" (the soldier's identification document in the Great War). We can see that it must have been close to a fire.

The photo on the left shows an extract from Wilhelm's short diary. He mainly recorded where he was located, and how many kilometers the unit had marched on particular days.

 

Wilhelm's Soldbuch and his Militärpass. The Soldbuch was the soldier's paybook and record of equipment issued.

On January 10, 1916, Wilhelm was released from duty at the Front to go and work at the Badische Anilin und Sodafabrik (Baden Aniline and Soda Factory - BASF) in Ludwigshafen.

It is unclear whether he was released following a period spent in the lazaret due to illness or injury. However, Wilhelm spent 14 months working at BASF, after which he returned to the Front, where this time he joined the 3rd Company Ersatzbataillon of the Landwirtschaftliches Infantry Regiment No. 116.

Wilhelm was admitted to the lazaret on December 1, 1917 due to illness, according to the statement issued on the left, where he remained until March 23, 1918.

Altogether, he was with the IR 116 from March 1, 1917 until November 24, 1918, when he was discharged. The documents also record that he received a civilian's suit (the "demob" suit).

He returned home to his family. His wife Josefine died in 1944 in Ettlingen, and his daughter Rosa in 1931, also in Ettlingen. His daughter Elise died in the 1980s in Karlsruhe and his son, also called Wilhelm, emigrated to the USA. Wilhelm himself died in Karlsruhe near Ettlingen on September 11, 1941.

This Week's Story: Top Brass

This week our story consists of photos and brief descriptions of some of the military commanders who led the Central Powers during the Great War. The photos shown here were contained in letters sent from the battlefields by soldiers from Ettlingen, which have recently been discovered by their families. The photos are copyright of the Stadtarchiv Ettlingen.

Generalleutnant Hermann von Stein, 1854-1927

This photo was sent by Rudolf Kessler of Ettlingen to his family on July 28 1915. Rudolf served in the Badische Leib-Grenadier Regiment 109, 28th Reserve Division XIV Reserve Army Corps.

Generalleutnant von Stein commanded the XIV Reserve Corps from September 14, 1914. During the Great War, he was a Prussian officer, General of the artillery and Minister of War. He was awarded the Iron Cross I and II Class, and the medal Pour le Mérite.

Rudolf writes: "I'm sending you this picture of our Corps Commander, His Excellency Generalleutnant von Stein. I'm safe and sound, and hope you all are as well".

His Royal Highness the Grand Duke Friedrich of Baden visits his Leibgrenadiers in the trenches

Rudolf sent this photo, which was printed on a postcard, to his family in Ettlingen on February 17, 1916. In his letter, Rudolf thanks his parents for the package they sent him and the meatballs it contained.

Grand Duke Friedrich II of Baden (1857-1928) was the last Grand Duke of Baden (the state in which Ettlingen is situated), abdicating on November 22, 1918 as a result of the German Revolution of 1918/19 which abolished the Grand Duchy.

For health reasons, Friedrich was unable to actively serve in the Great War, but he held the ranks of Generaloberst and Generalfeldmarschall. He was the leader of the Badische Leibgrenadier Regiment 109 based in Karlsruhe.

This photo was contained in a letter of August 24,1916 from Tor Kiefer of Ettlingen, and is captioned "Polish legion and Reserve Infantry Regiment 249".

Tor tells his family that his company (the RIR 249) is lying between parts of the Polish legion and the Austrian regiments. "Of course", Tor writes, "relationships are established. We make jokes about the Austrians as they do about us. The Polish legion consists of volunteers and is an excellent troop".





Legend of numbers for Polish legion:
1: Div. Kom. Janusz von Gluckowski
2: Rgt. Kom. Ritter von Belina-Prazmowski
3: Esk. Kom. Oberleutnant von Saruski
4: Esk. Kom. Oberleutnant Skarga-Guertig
5: Brig. Adj. Leutnant von Mieschszkowski
6: Zugs-Kom. Leutnant von Felszynski
7: Zugs-Kom. Leutnant von Kulesza

In the center is Oberstleutnant Laue, with others from the RIR 249:
Hpt. Freiherr von Schönau Wehr
Regt. Adj. Oberleutnant Leuthner
Feldwebel Lt. Lindemann

This photo was also sent by Rudolf Kessler to his family. Unfortunately it has no caption and no date, but we can see that it shows an important parade with officers and a band.

Story This Week: Kitchen Chef August Goldschmidt

Our story this week comes from Maria Goldschmidt of Ettlingen-Spessart, whose grandfather on her father's side served at the Western Front in the Great War.

August was born on November 7, 1879 in Karlsruhe-Durlach and came from a long line of blacksmiths - the family could trace their trade in Durlach back through six generations. August, however, went to work as a chef in the Hotel Wilhelmshöhe in Ettlingen, where he met his future wife Christine, from Ettlingen-Spessart.

Christine and August had four children together, but she passed away in 1916 at the age of 35. As Christine's family came from Spessart, the children were dispersed to friends and relatives in the village, as August had been called up to the army at the outbreak of war in 1914.

August with his unit and other members of the kitchen staff at the Western Front. August is the first on the left in this photo











August worked as a kitchen chef at the Western Front but as the war progressed, he was eventually called up to fight. He fell on September 25, 1918 and is buried at the military cemetry in Lille.

August with other kitchen staff. August is the first on the left.

Treasured by Maria: one of August's favorite cake molds

This Week: Post From The Western Front

This week we return to Sergeant Rudolf Kessler from Ettlingen Town, who fought on the Western Front at Champagne,Verdun and the Somme.

Rudolf wrote home regularly to his family in Ettlingen and his letters included a great number of photos from the front. The landscapes of the western front battlefields contained large amounts of chalk. Rudolf made chalk carvings while serving at the front, memorials of the Champagne offensives and the battles at La Boisselle and Loretto, which can be seen here in our Memorabilia section.

Rudolf sent home this photo of a 21 cm Mörser in artillery position on the Western Front













In February 1917, a friend of Rudolf's, Georg Roth, wrote a postcard to the Kessler family in Ettlingen. Georg was in the Baden Field Artillery Regiment No. 76 and the regiment had been stationed at the Somme throughout the fierce trench warfare battles that took place at the end of 1916 and the beginning of 1917.

The postcard that Georg sends is a photo of his trench at the Somme:

He writes: "After a very long stay with varied experiences, we have now left the Somme and currently all is quiet. This picture is a souvenir of our command post at the Somme. You will have heard that our dear Robert has passed away, it is not clear whether this was due to injuries or illness. Please forgive me that I have not written for so long. I hope you are all well, as am I."







Georg Roth is referring in his letter to Robert Schuler of Ettlingen, born on June 7, 1897, who fell in the Battle of the Somme, sourthern Serre, on November 23, 1916. Robert had trained as a commercial clerk and both he and Georg worked for Rudolf Kessler's father.

Georg's letter of February 24, 1917 in Sütterlin (old German script)

A photo sent home by Rudolf of captured French prisoners at the Western Front

This Week's Story: Sergeant Josef Brehm

Our story this week comes to us from Maria Goldschmidt of Ettlingen-Spessart, whose grandfather on her mother's side, Josef Brehm, served as a Sergeant on the Western Front in the Great War.

Josef was born on September 29, 1881 and could trace his family's roots in Ettlingen-Spessart back to 1790. At a young age, he joined the military to train with the 5th Badische Infantry Regiment No. 13, 6th Company, in Freiburg, where he held the rank of Musketeer.

When war was declared, Josef joined up to fight on the Western Front in the Alsace. In 1914, he held the rank of Sergeant.

Josef Brehm with his wife and four children


















Josef was stationed for a long period of the war at the Hartmansweilerkopf in the Alsace, a strategic area that was bitterly fought over. The most severe fighting occurred in January, March, April and December 1915. Some of the fiercest fighting of the war took place during these battles, with the French Chasseurs Alpins pitted against the German Sturmtruppen. It is estimated that around 30,000 French and German troops lost their lives here.

Josef is second from the left in this photo, which was taken with other officers on September 27, 1914. Apparently they had a dog, which can just be seen at the back

Out on patrol. Josef is second from left in this photo

Sergeant Josef Brehm on November 6, 1917 in Colmar, Alsace

A photo from 1914. Josef is standing second from left in this photo












Josef survived and returned home to his family. After the War, he worked at Eto, a company in the foodstuffs industry, in Ettlingen. He died on January 6, 1975.

Josef's bayonet and dagger

Josef's Iron Cross

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