Selected stories

Selected stories

A postcard from Hitler

Toothache and poor spelling.
1916 – A postcard from Adolf Hitler

The Munich roadshow revealed what at first sight appears to be just one of many postcards sent by soldiers in the field. The postcard, ‘Greetings from Nuremberg’, describes the sender’s recent trip to the dentist and his desire to go back to the front line. That soldier was Adolf Hitler, writing to his comrade Karl Lanzhammer in December 1916.

A postcard from A. Hitler
A postcard from A. Hitler

“Lieber Lanzhammer
Bin nun in München beim Ersatz Btl. Stehe zur Zeit in zahnärztlicher Behandlung. Melde mich übrigens soffort freiwillig ins Feld.
Hrzl. Grüße A. Hitler”

Date stamp: München 31, 19. Dez. 16, V 8-9 a
Postmark: K.B. 2. Inf. Rgt., Ers. Btl., 4. Ers. Komp.
Consignee: Karl Lanzhammer Radfahrer b. Rgt. Stab, VI Bayr. Res. I. Division, 16 Bayr. Res. I. Rgt., Rgt. Stab
Sender: Gefr. Adolf Hitler I. Ersatz Btl. II. I. Rgt., IV Ersatzkomp. München

The "Grenade-Bible"

My father’s bible saved his life

An amazing family story has been contributed to the Europeana 1914-1918 website by Prof. Gottfried Geiler from Leipzig. In 1917 a Bible saved the life of his father, Kurt Geiler, an infantryman.

In the never-ending trench warfare in the north-east of France Kurt Geiler was sleeping as usual with his Bible beneath his head. A direct hit destroyed his dug-out almost completely, dead and wounded were everywhere. Geiler was not injured and could get out of the rubble. Later he found his Bible again and to his astonishment there was a large piece of shell shrapnel wedged inside. Without the Bible, this would have smashed his head. Since that time, this Bible has been an important memento of the family.

The "Grenade-Bible" © Markus Geiler
The "Grenade-Bible" © Markus Geiler

True love

A prisoner of war finds the love of his life

The participation of Irishmen in WW1 was politically sensitive and as a result many of their stories have never been told. That was one reason why the Dublin roadshow was the best attended in Europe so far.

More than 600 people turned up, some queuing for hours, to share their memorabilia and stories. They include a marvellous wartime love story, told by Joseph Heapes’ daughter-in-law, Máire, of how Joseph found the love of his life, Mary, while a prisoner of war in Germany.

Passport of Joseph Hapes © Máire Uí Éafa
Passport of Joseph Hapes © Máire Uí Éafa

The crucifix in a bottle

The eye-witness account of a 100 year old man

Slovenian centenarian Slavko Zupan is one participant able to share his direct memories of the war. His enthusiasm for the project was such that he visited the roadshow in Nova Gorica, Slovenia, twice. To illustrate his childhood recollections Slavko brought along a bottle containing a richly decorated wooden crucifix. It was made by a Russian prisoner of war in Slovenia. Existing on meagre rations, prisoners crafted such objects to barter for food or cigarettes. The crucifix has been in Slavko’s family since 1916.

The crucifix in a bottle © Slavko Zupan
The crucifix in a bottle © Slavko Zupan

Saved!

Saved after two days of agony

In Preston, UK, John Stafford’s first hand account of the Battle of the Somme was brought along by his daughter Joan Almond, 85.

The typed manuscript documents Stafford’s experiences and illustrates how he coped with post traumatic stress disorder, decades before the condition was recognised. Stafford lay horribly injured for two days until Allied troops found him and carried him across ‘Death Valley’ to medical help. Joan said: “I think the war must have haunted him a lot, especially when you read his account. My mother used to encourage him to write down his experiences and this seemed to have a calming influence.”

A record of John Stafford © Joan Almond
A record of John Stafford © Joan Almond