Germany - World War 1 - Postcard (300) - 1918-1914

Collection of c.300 German World War One Postcards, 1914–1918

Overview
A collection of approximately 300 German postcards relating to the First World War, from the German perspective. The cards cover a range of types common to the period: chromolithograph battle illustrations, real-photo soldier portraits, regimental cards, propaganda and patriotic cards, documentary photographs, and leadership portraits. A proportion of the cards were postally used and carry stamps, field post (Feldpost) cancellations, and handwritten messages.

Battle Scene & Illustrated Cards
A substantial group of colour chromolithograph and tinted illustration cards depicts named engagements, predominantly on the Western Front. Identified subjects include actions at Ypres, Verdun, Maubeuge, St. Quentin, and Mülhausen. Cavalry charges, artillery crews, anti-aircraft machine gun teams, and infantry assaults are among the subjects depicted. Cards of this type were produced in large numbers by German publishers for the domestic market throughout the war.

Regimental & Commemorative Cards
Several cards document specific German units. One commemorates Landwehr-Regiment Nr. 39 and its actions at the Lorette heights between May and September 1915, incorporating a map of the area. Others bear the insignia of named Landwehr-Infanterie-Regimenter. Some carry regimental numbers, dates of service, or dedications suggesting they were kept as personal mementos.

Real-Photo Soldier Portraits
A large group of real-photo postcards shows German soldiers in studio and outdoor settings. Most are individual or small-group studio portraits in field-grey uniform. Also present are a mounted cavalryman, a family portrait of a soldier with wife and infant, and several group portraits of comrades. Some cards carry handwritten names, dates, and dedications on the reverse. One card bears the imprint of a named provincial photographer (Van Asti, Photo, Leipa).

Documentary Field Photographs
A group of real-photo cards records scenes away from combat: trench-digging in waterlogged ground, field cemeteries with named grave markers, the damaged interiors and exteriors of shelled churches, bombed streets with troops and civilians, and field workshops. These are primarily documentary in nature rather than illustrative.

Behind the Lines & Daily Life
A number of cards — many specifically captioned as coming from the Vosges sector (Kriegsbilder aus den Vogesen) — show the routine of military life: field kitchens, food distribution, troop bathing facilities, mail handling, woodland billets, Red Cross aid stations, and horse-drawn supply transport. Both colour-tinted photographic and chromolithograph versions are represented.

Propaganda & Patriotic Cards
A group of allegorical and patriotic cards includes Germania figures, Imperial war flag imagery, Zeppelin scenes, and cards bearing patriotic slogans such as "Mit Gott für König und Vaterland!" and "Wir Deutschen fürchten Gott, sonst nichts in der Welt!" One card was published by order of the Kaiser in aid of the Red Cross.

Leadership Portraits
Portrait cards present include Kaiser Wilhelm II, Generalfeldmarschall von Hindenburg, General von François, and König Wilhelm II von Württemberg.

Condition
Generally Good to Fair. Chromolithograph cards retain reasonable colour. Real-photo cards show normal tonal variation for silver gelatin prints of the period. Some cards have minor corner wear, light creasing, or age-toning. A number of unused cards are in better condition.

Quantity: c. 300 cards
Date: 1914–1918
Origin: German Empire
Format: Standard postcard, approx. 14 × 9 cm