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Death Cards

Discussion in 'Death Cards' started by Otto, Sep 21, 2000.

  1. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

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    Something you may not know about Deathcards. These were a Roman Catholic tradition so most death cards were printed by Catholic families. This explains why there are more death cards from South Germany and Austria than from North Germany. Therefore looking for a deathcard from a specific soldiers is a lotery, maybe there was, maybe none was printed.
     
  2. Mortman2004

    Mortman2004 Dishonorably Discharged

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    Here is My take On "Death cards" If i am correct these were basicly a type of funeral notice for german families for theyre Fallen Soldier... if so I think its kinda ghoulish to collect them... this is Just my humble opinion... These were young men who died in the service of theyre country right or wrong.... THEy died before some of them even had a chance to live... Do we collect pictures of the fallen from Viet nam korea, or the falklands NO... so why the fascination with this...
     
  3. dgmitchell

    dgmitchell Ace

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    To the contrary, before claiming that it is ghoulish to collect these cards, consider their fate if there were no collectors! Collectors must be acquiring cards that are no longer wanted by the families who received them. Over the years, if it were not for collectors, these cards would all find their way into the waste bins of the globe and the young men shown on them would be completely forgotten.

    As long as the collectors treat the cards with respect, they help to ensure that the dead -- regardless of nationality -- are not forgotten. In time, these collectors also preserve a historical record which might otherwise have been lost.
     
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  4. Mortman2004

    Mortman2004 Dishonorably Discharged

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    Good point DD. But ive seen a lot of folks do it and sound like a child collecting sports cards. "OH WOW THIS guy the iron cross 1st class and the infantry assault badge" kinda like a kid getting a Mark Mcguire or Derek Jeter rookie card... just my 2 cents, And frankly Im a professional soldier of 21 years service and who am i to judge... ya get down to brass tacks Im paid to jump out of planes and kill folks... (THE LAST COMMENT WAS OF MY WIFE) she isnt too found of my job LOL . She at times has a marvelous way of keeping me humble... I dunno i just see how young these guys were and it makes me feel a bit bad... then again When im teaching classes i look out in the classroom and see how old these officer cadets are and i think the same thing... Maybe im getting old and loosing my edge... And frankly tired of young folks dying or being maimed in combat period
     
  5. dgmitchell

    dgmitchell Ace

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    You make a valid point and I agree that there should not be any child-like behaviour associated with collecting these cards. In the examples you reference, I would say the collectors are ghoulish -- or just obscenely insensitive -- but the act of collecting, in general, is not the ghoulish behaviour in and of itself.

    I would compare this to the preservation of mummies and other antiquities. Depending on one's perspective, the act is either legitimate or it is grave robbing. I err on the side of preservation and study so I feel it is legitimate.

    Make sense?
     
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  6. Mortman2004

    Mortman2004 Dishonorably Discharged

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    Good point and from what ive seen you folks. Do it to learn more about the individual.... And its done respectfully....
     
  7. dgmitchell

    dgmitchell Ace

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    You will find many positive qualities in these forums. Our moderators do a great job of filtering out the bad apples!
     
  8. domherr

    domherr Member

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    2 brothers
    shows the senseless
    of war

    1 KIA Poland przemysl 14. sep.39

    with uniform
     

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  9. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

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    Great to see this fine thread is still running. I have a coupe of news ones to scan and will be back in a near future for more postings here. Terrible to have two brothers . Some families had three , four or more sons, sometimes two or even three generations were among the casualties. I recently came accross an italian death card that is just similar . It has the same look as the German cards.
     
  10. domherr

    domherr Member

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    Terrible to have two brothers . Some families had three , four or more sons, .......

    yes , 3
    1 ss pz gren.
    kia italy 1944 30.jun

    2x 1941 rußland

    Regards,
     

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  11. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

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    I can imagine what the mother must have felt. The only thing tha tis worse than to lose a child is to lose more than one. The grieve must have been unbearable for these mothers no matter their nationality.
     
  12. dgmitchell

    dgmitchell Ace

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    Last week I met a man who had to be close to 90 years old. He was working as a carousel operator and we were his only customers. He brought up having worked for Martin Marietta after the War and I asked him if he had served. He told me that he had failed the physical and worked in industry during the War but that he lost a brother and a cousin to WWII. The pain in his eyes was as real today as it must have been 63+ years ago.

    It got me to thinking that the suffering of siblings often must have lasted far longer than the suffering of parents or spouses who lost their loved ones in the War. I can't imagine carrying such a loss and such memories for so long. It must be hardest for brothers -- whether they served or not -- because they also carry the knowledge that but for the hands of fate, their fates might have been switched with their brother's.
     
  13. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

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    Well said and this I like this thread because it is our way to pay a tribute for these men (or women)

    Not a soldier, but it's the first time I see one from an Italy, so worth mentionning as you don't see them every day.

    This sailor drowned when his ship sunk near Britanny in 1930.

    [​IMG]
     
  14. Erich

    Erich Alte Hase

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    a very interesting card with an interesting background history, this Marinesoldat persished on a cpatured ship by the Hilfkreuzer Atlantis, the Spyerbank became the Hilfkreuzer/Minenschiffe Doggerbank and had some very successful moments plus being a blockade runner. the CO of the ship came off the Atlantis and remained her Kapitän till her demise in 1943, unfortunately by a KM U-Boot U-43 mistook her for an Allied merchant. A total of 6 crew plus the captain were able to get away, the Captain on the request of the surviving members shot each one of them, himself and one refused, thus surviving, writing a wild book called the "Survivor".

    E ~
     

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  15. ozjohn39

    ozjohn39 Member

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    "i saw a few responses to Otto's original question, but this seems to be mostly a European thing, does anybody know of any in the States or Australia........just curious!
    thanks!!!"




    Bigfun,


    Perhaps not quite the same thing, but in Australia in WW1 they issued a large, heavy, bronze medallion to each next of kin to a fallen soldier.

    It was about 5" in diameter and about 1/4" thick.

    It was engraved with the soldiers details, and the 'Rising Sun' badge of the AIF if applicable.


    John.
     
  16. USMC

    USMC Member

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    Is this like the foreign version of a Union Telegram?
     
  17. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

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    no deathcards were printed in rather large quantities and send to friends, neigbours, relatives etc... they were also distributed at the Church ceremony. They have nothing to do with plaques or telegrammes that also existed in Europe. They were inspired by pious images from the Catholic Church
     
  18. roopejoulupukki

    roopejoulupukki recruit

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    [​IMG]

    This is a finnish death card.
     
  19. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

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    A german Ritterkreuz Träger Pow who died in Russian Carelia after the war in 1946 and was buried in Stalingrad

    [​IMG]
     
  20. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

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    time to revive this fine thread again. A O.T. Arbeiter who died while building the Lorient Festung bunkers (probably an accident)

    [​IMG]
     
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