At war!
Sources:
Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, poster collection 2 (certification about imposition of war condition, 1914). Bayerischer Hauptstaatsarchiv, Department IV War Archive, War tributary 3215 (Input Sanitätshund Lord, 1915). Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Department IV War Archive, Officer Staff Act 2609 (Personal Arch Franz Marc, 1900–1921). Bayerischer Hauptstaatsarchiv, Abteilung IV Kriegsarchiv,Verlustkartei Kasten 57 (Verlustkarte Franz Marc, 1916). Bayerischer Hauptstaatsarchiv, press section collection 2967 (Soldat takes farewell from his family, drawing by Arpad Schmidhammer in the magazine “Jugend” 39/1914). Bayerischer Hauptstaatsarchiv, Department IV War Archive, estate Bernhard 73 (photopostcards, 1914–1915). Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Department IV War Archive, estate Bernhard I (Writing, Basteleien, 1918).
Points of attachment:
What historical events led to the outbreak of war in 1914? How did the political landscape change before, during and after the First World War? Why could it even come to war and how did he look at life in his home? What impact did the First World War have on Bavaria? How did individual people get on the front and home stays? How do children experience the war? How to make a picture of history? What do photos say?
The First World War, the "Urkatastrophe of 20th “A total of 20 million people cost life and changed the power structure in Europe sustainably. He also prepared the ground for the still-coming horrors of National Socialism and World War II.
The war outbreak was hopefully welcomed by large parts of the youth. The war soon captured all areas of life and even reflected in the toy offer. War games should bring children to war and at the same time awaken the enthusiasm of war in the young generation.
With the long duration of the war, the initial enthusiasm of a clear frightening in the face of the horrors at the front as well as the fear in the home was a matter for the relatives. There are no more witnesses to war events. But there are numerous documents that can remember these events.
Some of the transferred documents provide an insight into the fate of individual persons during the war. Each soldier and servant of the army was registered in the war tributaries of the Bavarian State Archives. In total, about 23,000 volumes are approx. To find 1.4 million entries. The entries contain basic data on origin, marital status, religion, assigned unity in the army, but also on battles in which the soldier has participated, to received awards, wounds and diseases, as well as notes to excretion from the army – or to death in the field. Even dogs used in war received an entry – so the fate of the sanity dog “Lord” can be traced.
Officers were entered in the war rankings of the Bavarian army. In addition, an officer's personnel record was created, which contains additional information in addition to the basic data, e.g., on the date of departure or promotion.
The Bavarian army administration led a so-called loss cardi to favors. With the help of card cards sorted by name, enquiries from relatives could be quickly answered according to the fate of their relatives on the front.
A direct impression of life at the war front conveys handed-over letters and postcards of the war participants to their relatives. Some of the very personal shieldings of their own war experiences make the horrors of war come alive. The letters repeatedly express doubts about the meaning of war. In addition, the ever-increasing longing of the soldiers for their families occurs, which they, if at all, only got to face in the few home holidays. Sometimes the answers have also remained. Most of them reported the wives of the soldiers about the events in their homes. They tried to enable their husbands to participate in family life. Sometimes the letters also include contributions from children, such as crafts or handwritten notes. Through the years of absence, fathers and children became strange. In the best case, they could overcome this alienity when returning. Often it did not succeed. Many former soldiers were persecuted by the experiences on the front for many years, they were hard to find back to normal life.
Course description
Methodology competence, judgment competence, orientation competence Bavarian identity, territory and cultural heritage (Gymnasium, class 8), imperialism and First World War (Gymnasium, class 8), human rights yesterday and today (Gymnasium, class 9), dealing with audiovisual sources
Further information:
War! Bavaria in the summer of 1914 (Exhibition Catalogues of the Staatliche Archive Bayerns Nr. 56), Munich 2014.
www.ancestry.de (paid offer)
Getraffen – Gerettet – Signed. Medical services in the First World War (Ausstellungskataloge der Staatliche Archive Bayerns Nr. 60) Munich 2018.
Consequences and yet forget. The German-French War 1870/71. An exhibition of the Bavarian Archive School, edited by Anton Gleißner and Ferdinand Sturm. Bayerischer Hauptstaatsarchiv, 16.3.-19.5.2020, 27 pp., coloured illustration, no ISBN.
