Story Of The Week: Private Leopold Kappenberger

Our story of the week comes from Rudi Bannwarth of Ettlingenweier, one of the districts of Ettlingen. Rudi's great-grandfather Leopold Kappenberger fought as a Private in the Great War.

Leopold was born on December 8, 1886. He worked as a technical former in a factory in the metal industry and was one of the first men from the village to earn his wages outside of the agricultural sector. In 1914, he was called up to fight in the Badische Leib-Grenadier Regiment 109. This regiment belonged to the XIVth Infantry Corps and was the local regiment of Karlsruhe.

Leopold was married to Regine (born Weber) and they had three children. Two of the children only lived for a few months and their middle child, Rudi's grandmother Helene, was the only one who survived.

Leopold died on October 1, 1914 on the Western Front in France. He was the first man from the village to die in the Great War.

Private Leopold Kappenberger, Dec. 8, 1886 - Oct. 1, 1914
Badische Leib-Grenadier Regiment 109/XIVth Battalion
Died on the Western Front in France

















Leopold's wife Regine married a second time in 1920, this time to Leopold Lumpp, who had probably held the rank of Rifleman during the Great War. Leopold Lumpp was born in 1876 and had been 48 at the outbreak of war, so he had not fought. Instead, he had worked as a security guard for prisoners of war. The couple had a further six children together, four of whom survived.

Rifleman Leopold Lumpp
Survived the Great War