The Great War Comes Home

Lee 0:00

God allowed this to happen in order to show what happens when greed, superficiality, vanity, hedonism, pride, and disunity reign.

Robyn 0:30

So the episode today is from a diary that I got from the archive at Emendingen in Germany, and it's of Gustav Schlott. The diary is very interesting because it spans over 40 years of his life. So we get in his 20s and all the way up, you know, till when he's a grandfather talking about his grandkids. It's interesting to see how a person's view of society, their view of life, changes throughout that time. Gustav was born in March of 1852. So he was already a grandfather when World War I happened. His views from the Franco-Prussian War, which is the war where Germany was unified afterwards in 1871, um, greatly impacted how he thought about World War I because Germany won easily the Franco-Prussian War.

Thad 1:31

And they were kind of jerks about it.

Robyn 1:33

Oh, totally.

Thad 1:35

They really did like so. One of the things that is is interesting about the Franco-Prussian War is that not only did Germany go in, beat France all the way back, but then they're like, all right, guys, we're gonna come and have you sign the uh the treaty, you know, the the the armistice in the Palace of Versailles. So they beat France down, they kind of humiliated them, and then they took some of their land. So the Germans were feeling pretty pretty full of themselves.

Robyn 2:00

And it's it's really interesting if you look at the uh the picture in the hall of mirrors at Versailles, and there's a few French guys at this table and signing the treaty, and just surrounded by a whole gaggle of German soldiers in in uniform.

Thad 2:19

So going you know, going back and looking at that as context, um, one of the things that the Franco-Prussian War did was gave Germany chunks of France that they wanted and made them feel like they were kind of the uh they were the they were the they were the big people on the block. They were the rulers of they were the the m going to be the masters of Europe. So the result of the Franco-Prussian War then was that Germany felt like they were very powerful, rightly so, because they had won easily, and France was not happy with them. So the over the next 30 years or so, uh Germany is you know feeling feeling rather poor themselves, and France is feeling rather put out. And so what happens in that environment is Germany continues to think about all the different ways that they're going to finish off France, and the military generals in France think of all the ways that they're going to get rid of Germany and not let Germany do that thing. We're not gonna do that again. Not only that, but we're gonna decisively defeat them. So the lead the the decades leading up to World War One is full of people um making plans and laying the groundwork for what the next battle is gonna look like, and so you know, when World War I happens, when when we look at the history books, oftentimes World War I is described as kind of like uh, oh, you know, there's there's a bunch of treaties, which there were, and you know, everybody just they all just kind of took effect whenever, um, you know, whenever something happened, it's they did, which they did, and everyone was just obliged to go to war. But the reality is that a number of these places and people were looking for an opportunity to to try out their new toys. These generals and military people in France, Germany, and all across Europe had a whole bunch of new technologies, they had been making war plans for for years at this point, and so there was not just it, it wasn't just that they they had to go to war because they were autobound to, they kind of wanted to to do it, right? Germany wanted to expand themselves out and and roll over Europe and you know crush France. France wanted to have revenge for the Franco-Prussian war and the way they were mistreated, and so and you know, Russia was well, Russia didn't really Russia didn't want to do anything, they were just kind of doing their own thing.

Robyn 4:50

They just lost a war to Japan.

Thad 4:52

They had just lost a war to right. Russia had just lost a war to Japan in 1905. In 1905, and Nicholas, I believe, was not interested at all in doing war, but as it turns out, his hand was kind of forced into it. And we will talk about that um in the next episode when we talk about his correspondence, uh, the telegrams between uh Nicholas of Russia and Wilhelm uh the Germany in the Wick Nikki and Willie letters as they uh refer to themselves.

Robyn 5:22

But what we I mean, what we also need to remember and keep in mind is this wasn't just France and Germany. The Industrial Revolution had taken place pretty pretty much worldwide by this point. And as Thad said, there were a lot of weapons, a lot of new technology, but each country thought that theirs was the best. Pretty much every country thought the war would be ended by Christmas because they you know were confident that their weapons, their technology were better than everybody else's.

Thad 5:56

Well, and because they they were better than it had been even 10, 15, 20 years earlier. So compared to the way things used to be, well, they've got machine guns now, and they've got, you know, they've got all kinds of um airplanes. We've got the beginning of airplanes, they've just been invented, but people are are ramping up production of that. So that's the context that we come into with Gustav. He's uh at this point in time, he's he's uh middle-aged, he's got some kids, and he is looking at he and his kids are looking at Germany, looking at the world in 1914, and war comes. And so the part of the the part of his uh account that we're gonna be reading today is his recollection, him, his diary entries from uh the war, what we see is his perception of the war, as many Germans were going into it, of like, man, this is gonna be great, this is gonna be glorious, you know, I'm so proud of everything. And then the the reality and and how things change over time.

Robyn 7:00

And I chose his because it really is very rare to get, well, first of all, a home front diary from Germany during World War One, but that of a man in his 60s who literally talks about his grandkids uh during World War One and just gives an older perspective. Usually you hear, you know, ones from people written in the trenches or um, or occasionally a home front diary of what life was like for the women there. But this is a man who has decades of experience uh living in Germany and looking at you know things around him. And so he's drawing from that a lot. And so it's just it provides a very different context than most that you will read. So Gustav, like I said, was born in 1852. Um he grew up doing prayers with his dad, went to school from a young age, and eventually continued into seminary, got a teaching certificate, and became a teacher at the School for the Deaf. He had four kids, Hans, Greta, Ludwig, and Gertrude. And Hans, this is the oldest, he was a pastor and was never sent away to war, and he stayed um at home and didn't have to leave. Um, and Greta, she well, her husband's name is Hans Ludwig, which can get very confusing because she has two brothers, one named Hans and one named Ludwig. Just so you know, it can get kind of confusing. They lived in South Africa, actually. He was a pastor there. And I didn't know this um until I was reading the diary. I actually had to go look it up, but there were over 20,000 prisoners of war taken near Cape Town in South Africa, um, Germans by the British as enemies of the state. Ludwig had been a prosecutor, and he ended up serving on the Western Front. He spent a lot of his time in Psalm. The Battle of the Psalm was considered one of the worst of World War One. You hear about the trenches that were lined for miles and went for months and months of fighting.

Thad 9:17

Because there's nowhere to go.

Robyn 9:19

Yeah, we went there.

Thad 9:20

Right. So when you're standing there on a you know on a rolling hill somewhere and you look, you can you can see it's this kind of rolling, at least now green land, but it's it's just rolling and you can see literally forever, uh is in in every direction. And so if you were uh in an army meeting there, there's really only one way to go, and that's down. And that's and that's where all you know they they basically dug trenches in order to get down underneath the uh the lines of fire.

Robyn 9:52

They called them coffins, vertical coffins. The trenches were so deep you could stand to look over the top. And that when people were killed, well, that's just where they lay. That's one of the things that even when you read accounts, when I read accounts from Germans and British uh that were fighting there during the war, is they talk about how beautiful and how wonderful it is. And if only they weren't in battle killing each other, this would be a great place to bring their families. Like they write home about this, like, oh, there's this really nice village a few kilometers away. We should come visit sometime. And lastly, he had a daughter, her name was Gertrude, and she became a war nurse. Um she was 29, worked at the White Horse Inn, and was able to stay in Fonkenforst, which was the town that they grew up in. So this is Gustav. It starts out pretty much the day after war was declared, and he had just listened to a sermon given by his oldest son Hans.

Lee 10:58

August 3rd, 1914. Germany's war against Russia and France began a very difficult time for the country. Yesterday my son Hans gave a sermon on Through Stillness and Hope You Will Be Strong. The church was well attended, and officers sat under the pulpit. My son Ludwig was in his field uniform, sitting there among others. Many women and men wept. I was pleased, and thanked God that Hans had spoken with composure, confidence, calm, and joy. After the service, a lady said to me, Your son spoke very well. Ludwig, my daughter Gertrude, and I went to Hans parsonage and greeted his wife Emma and the three children. Ludwig and Gertrude then bought various things for his war equipment. The evening before last, he came from Gottington, where he worked as a public prosecutor and left at 1 a.m. last night. The parting was very difficult for their sick mother. May the faithful God protect and bless him. We pray that our Ludwig, whom we love dearly, returns healthy. Mobilization affects everyone. From every family, the men born between 1869 and 1897 are rallying to the colors. God, the guide of the battles, grant our armies and navies glorious victories. August 11th, 1914. Today our Gertrude, who turned 29 the day before yesterday, and trained as a war nurse at the local hospital last year, traveled to Goslar to care for the wounded. May God graciously protect and richly bless her in her noble service to the Faterland. So we two old people are alone, but feel comfortable and safe in the care of our Gott. He also protects our children and grandchildren, as well as all our loved ones, especially our dear Ludwig, who writes to us daily, but doesn't receive our cards. Ludwig arrived at his garrison on Trier on August 3rd and was appointed deputy battery commander. He was welcomed in the officers' mess and among his comrades, reservist and landwear soldiers. On August 8th, he wrote, Tomorrow we march out. God's angels accompany, protect, and bless him. We pray daily for him, as for our armies and navy in general. The most significant event last week was the capture of Liege, a city in Belgium by the 10th Army Corps, which included the Brunswick troops from our region. The commanding general von Emick received news from the Kaiser Wilhelm II that the French were pushed back and that the Russians also had to retreat. We hear nothing from Hans and our daughter Emma, who returned home from Vinberg near Cape Town. They are sailing around East Africa and waiting in a port. Hans, pastor at St. Catherine's Church, volunteered for the war in vain. The needs for the military are currently more than adequately met. There is a unique unity among our people. Even the Social Democrats are celebrating with enthusiasm and a willingness to make sacrifices. The Kaiser called and everyone came. What unanimity there was in the Reichstag session on August 4th. Everyone rallied together, pledging to stand by our leader through thick and thin, through hardship and death. This is the greatest time of my life. Similar to the time of liberation and the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. Praise and thanks be to Gott for this. May he be with our brave soldiers on the land and sea. August 24, 1914. Glorious news of victories. Our soldiers and the German Crown Prince have won a victory over the French. The enemy was repulsed along the entire line with heavy losses, 10,000 prisoners, and over 50 cannons were taken from them. The crown prince of Bavaria led the troops. This happened on August 20th and 21st. On August 22nd, the German Crown Prince triumphed over the French in Metz, in northeastern France. 150 cannons were captured, September 2nd, 1914. Today we received a field postcard from Ludwig, dated the 29th of the month. He sends morning greetings and notes that they are lying near the castle where Bismarck captured Napoleon. Our daughter Gertrude was summoned to Goslar, Germany, by telephone today. I play the organ in the Catholic Church two times a week to encourage the worshipers that are there to pray. November 24, 1914. Events are developing so quickly that I haven't had time to write anything down. Thank God things are going very well. Belgium has been conquered, and France has been worn down. England is full of fear. The Russians have been defeated, and Serbia has been brought down. Our Ludwig has been standing guard outside a place near Verdun for six weeks. Gertrude is a war nurse. Now at the White Horse Inn, January 1, 1915. God sits at the helm and guides all things well. The war has been going on since August 1914. With gratitude to God, we look back on the steadfastness and spirit of self-sacrifices of our people, and upon the glorious victories of our brave soldiers on land and sea. Belgium is ours. France and Russia are occupied by our armies. England has already received some sound blows from our blue jackets, and the best is yet to come. Germany fights in an alliance with Austria and Turkey. God is evidently with us. Mother and I are alone at home. I continue to discharge my duties at the Institute for the Deaf. Two of our teachers are fighting in France. One has lost a brother. At the Institute, everything follows its steady course. On December 18th, we celebrated a wonderful gift giving. On January 5th, 1915, we began again, full of hope and cheer. Hans has much to do in the parish and at the military hospital, and so forth. His family is well. Ludwig has been fighting for two months in Reims, France. He is a regimental adjutant. He is doing well, praise be to God. Greta is staying with her three children in Weinberg, near Cape Town. Her husband is held by the English nearby as a prisoner of war. Gertrude is serving with great joy as a war nurse here. March 3, 1915. With heartfelt gratitude to God, I conclude the 63rd year of my life. He has always graciously protected and richly blessed me. I enjoy good health, which I maintain through a regular lifestyle, organized work, purposeful walks, gymnastic exercises, bathing, and breathing exercises, moderation and temperance. I do not smoke, I drink very little beer. I prefer to stay at home in the evenings, and I sleep from 10.30 p.m. until 7 a.m. My per profession as inspector and teacher at the Institute for the Deaf brings me great joy every day. I discipline myself to cultivate stillness and take a lively interest in my own continuing education. Sunday is my day of rest and the day dedicated to my God. Yet of every day it holds true, this is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. My house is my castle, and nowhere do I feel as comfortable as I do at home. I have always preferred being with my family to being in a tavern. War Since August it has been raging in the east and the west, both near and far, in the air, on land, and beneath the water. Praise and thanks be to God that our beloved German fatherland has been almost entirely spared from the war. The poor people of East Prussia and Silesia. Here in our region, life goes on as if in peacetime. I work and live in exactly the same way I did before the war. Our brave soldiers are fighting in France, Russia, the Carpathians, Turkey, and the English Channel aboard submarines in Southwest and East Africa and in the air. How fearless in the face of death they are, how they sacrifice everything for the fatherland, how united, self-sacrificing, and pious the entire German people are. I am proud to be a German. There are five people in our family father, mother, Gertrude, Kurt Werner, a deaf foster son, and Minna Hausmann, our maid, the daughter of Jans, a former deaf pupil of mine. Ludwig, a lieutenant in the reserve and regimental adjutant with the forty fourth Field Artillery Regiment, is fighting in the Champagne region. He wears the Iron Cross. God has graciously protected him. Greta is Staying with her three children, those despicable English. Gertrude is serving as a war nurse, tending to the wounded here in town. At our institution, I have been teaching two classes since August of last year. The assistant teachers, Vihy and Heidelfuss, marched off as war volunteers to defend the Vaterland, the former to Russia, the latter to France. I am active in the Grand Land Lodge of the Freemasons of Germany, in poor relief work, and in the church. It brings me joy to help my fellow men, to serve everyone, but above all to make sacrifices for the fatherland. God has been good with us, thanks be to him. He remains with us now and in the future. This fills me with confidence and hope, with the certainty of victory and the joy of triumph. Psalm 7328. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the sovereign Lord my refuge. April 6th, 1915. Easter. Thank God we are doing well, right in the midst of the war. Our Ludwig, who is serving as a reserve lieutenant and regimental adjutant, took part in the fierce battles in the Champagne region of France with his regiment, and is now enjoying a few weeks of rest behind the front lines. His regiment, having been withdrawn from the line of fire on April 1st, is stationed at a beautifully situated country house. He writes to us almost daily. Our son-in-law Hans Ludwig has been a prisoner of war since August of last year. He is currently interned along with 2,000 Germans and Austrians, including women and children, in Peter Maritzburg, Natal. Our daughter Greta is waiting with the three grandchildren, Wilheim, Hannah, and Ermela. Mother and I are all in good health. On April 1st, we observed the Bismarck commemoration. On April 2nd, Good Friday, I attended the services at the Berlin Cathedral. The cathedral choir sang the 22nd Psalm. The organist played the opening movement of Box St. Matthew's Passion as the recessional, and Kritzener delivered a deeply moving sermon. April 9th, 1915. On April 8th at 4 p.m., I was summoned to the office of the Lord Mayor Reichtenmeier, who, in his official chambers at the town hall, conveyed the above official notification to me and presented me with the order itself, along with the accompanying letters patent, dated March 25th, signed by Duke Ernst August, and the statutes of the Order of Henry the Lion. I was required to acknowledge receipt by signing my name. At sixty-three years of age, I am neither vain nor ambitious, and yet I rejoice in this distinction as a recognition of my professional endeavors, work that brings me fresh joy every day. My life belongs to the deaf and mute. August twenty third, nineteen fifteen. Eight days ago today, Ludwig arrived from France to visit us on leave. It was a week filled with joy for us all. On August 3, 1914 he set out, accompanied by our wishes, prayers, and hopes. And now, after a year of war, we had him back again, healthy and strong, full of confidence, courage, certainty of victory, and the joy of triumph, sheltered and blessed by God. Today he traveled back. Mother, Gertrude, and I accompanied him to the train station. Our soldiers and allies have won glorious victories, particularly in Russia. Warsaw has fallen, as have Kofno and other strong fortresses. The Baltic provinces are in our hands. Our soldiers are pushing eastward unstoppable. Meanwhile, all is quiet in the West. Italy has suffered heavy losses, a hundred and eighty thousand men. Turkey is holding back the English and French with heavy blows it is a glorious time. Praise the Lord, O my soul. December twenty third, nineteen fifteen. First, a Christmas celebration at the school. Then Christmas with my family. Thank God. Everyone is in good health. Mother is working in the home, and I am working at the institution with deep satisfaction. The pastor here in Catherine is active in the congregation and the church. Emma, his wife, is busy in the home amidst the circle of their splendid four daughters and four foster sons. Ludwig, promoted to first lieutenant and nominated for the Iron Cross First Class, is in France. God has guarded and blessed him. Praise the Lord, O my soul. Outside it is winter, and all around us, and far across the world, war is raging. Yet above us our God reigns in his omnipotence, his justice, goodness, and mercy. In his grace he has granted our people victory thus far. To him be praise and thanksgiving. May he grant us the final victory and a good, honorable peace. In him I place my trust and I feel secure. Like a child in his father's arms, August 18th, 1916. From July 4th to the 30th, mother and I stayed with our eldest children and grandchildren in Bolitz. Our eldest daughter, Greta, has become a capable pastor's wife, and our son-in-law, Hans Ludwig, a conscientious, earnest, and faithful pastor. Their three children, Wilhelm, Hanna, and Ermella, bring us nothing but joy. I am tutoring Wilhelm, nine years old, and Hannah, seven years old, in reading, spelling, and arithmetic. The currents in the parsonage garden tasted exquisite, as did the peas and new potatoes. I came to know the surroundings of Bulitz thoroughly, and also visited many surrounding villages. Thank God that our grandkids are so well accommodated. September twentieth, nineteen sixteen. The Fatherland needs money. I gave it my watch chain and cufflings, and my mother gave her earrings and other items, and we did so gladly. One of my hard of hearing students is also a soldier. He requested and received a medical certificate from me, attesting to his hearing impairment. The staff physician asked, How much is three times three? To which he replied, nine. And just like that, he became a soldier. Most deaf mutes can perform duties behind the front lines. October 4th, 1916. Yesterday, as I do roughly every two years, I once again had my teeth cleaned and checked, specifically by the highly recommended dental technician Mr. Gersh, for the sum of three marks. My teeth, my very own God-given teeth, are healthy, and thank God in these expensive times of war, I still have something to sink my teeth into, as do my loved ones, both here at home and away. Today with winter just beginning, I put on my winter suit for the very first time this season. How loose the trousers, which I have been wearing for about three years now, had become on me. How loose the waistcoat and the jacket. It is truly laughable. I feel quite comfortable with this. My wife's worries are unnecessary. November 16, 1916. Since the evening of October 30th, Ludwig has been on leave with us. In October of this year, he and his 44th Field Artillery Regiment fought in the Somme, enduring the toughest battles, and received a special letter of commendation from his regimental commander, Colonel Von Hofgarten. He looks well, is fresh, and confident of victory. Thank God. May he continue to protect and bless him. December 6, 1916. Our Ludvig returned happily to his regiment about four weeks ago. After spending four weeks in September on the Somme, where the regiment withstood the enemy's onslaught, the regiment is now stationed in the Priester Vault, resting. The divisional general inspected the troops the day before yesterday. Thank God that Ludwig is still alive at all, and that he writes with such high spirits. His days of leave were days of celebration for all of us, especially for me. I look back on them with such fondness. Over the past ten weeks I attended the local court theater on ten consecutive Saturdays, and listened to ten of Schiller's dramas with great satisfaction. What magnificent language. What sublime thoughts. Schiller is truly fitting for our present times. Yesterday evening I attended a very interesting and substantial illustrated lecture at the local university delivered by Dr. Roloff on the history of Brachvig, a distinguished audience. Thus far, God has helped us. He will continue to help, even in this great struggle that our nation is waging against almost the entire world, most notably right now in Romania, which our brave soldiers have, for the most part, occupied. On December 3, 1916, they defeated the Romanians near Bucharest in a major victory. The church bells rang out at the Kaiser's command. Our institution, indeed the entire city, was bedecked with flags. Now think we all our Got. Bucharest has fallen, and on the very birthday of its conqueror, von Mackison, what jubilation throughout the entire city. No school today. Every house is flying flags. A grand celebration was held at the castle square at twelve thirty PM. The crowd, including Mother and me, sang the first verse of A Mighty Fortress is our God. Choirs sang The Faithful German Heart. And Father, I call upon you. A military band played. City Councillor von Frankenberg delivered a gripping and brief address. Afterward, mother and I went to join our friends who had invited us over for roast hair. A beautiful day. February 17th, 1917. The day before yesterday, our longtime capable and friendly family doctor passed away. We owe him much thanks. We received good news from Ludwig today. He has been in France since the beginning of the war. Hans Ludwig has now also been drafted, from where they were staying near Cape Town. Greta is visiting him today with Wilhelm and Hanna. We are doing well, thank God. Despite the food shortage, we have coal. Others lack it, and we had about four weeks of extreme cold. The submarine war is in full swing. On March 31, 1917, Wilhelm passed the exam for the sixth grade of the new gymnasium. May 4th, 1917, Monday Thursday. I subscribed to the sixth war loan at the Credit Anstadt. May God protect and bless our beloved Faterland. December 4th, 1917. Like so many others, I too have grown thin because of the food shortages. Added to this is frequent urination two to three times during the night. I am sixty-five years old. To reassure mother, I consulted Professor Dr. Frank, our trusted family physician, and received the information I had expected. My thinness is caused by my meager diet. There is little bread, little meat, little lard, little butter, little cheese, no sausage, etc. And the need to empty my bladder two or three times during the night is explained by my age. He examined my abdomen, specifically my stomach, but found everything to be in perfect order. Incidentally, I feel very well. I can walk for hours every day, do gymnastics, breathe deeply, and I remain eager to work, and remain content in my got. Thus I returned home and dispelled the gloomy thoughts of my anxious caring mother. April 15, 1918. Ludwig, our Ludwig, our pride and joy fell in Flanders. On the 17th, as his regimental commander writes, he was laid to rest with one comrade in a war cemetery. As a first lieutenant, he commanded the 2nd Battalion of the Trier Field Artillery Regiment 44, in which he had joined years before as a one-year volunteer. While advancing with his regiment, he was struck in the right arm by a machine gun bullet. He then wrote his last letter in which he hoped for a swift reunion. The wound did not hold him back. The missing arm did not hold him back. A faithful son, a faithful brother, a brave officer. April twenty fifth, nineteen eighteen. Deep in my heart I feel so much pain. I am nearly unable to bear the immeasurable loss. How we all loved him. His mother bore him with pain, nursed him and cared for him. With faithful love we raised him and his three siblings. He was a beautiful child with curly hair, resembling his mother and me. Early on I took him and our firstborn out with me, first to the area near where we lived, on the small parade ground, and then further afield. What joy he took in the stories I told the children. From this arose my library history with pictures. I also told them fairy tales, fables, animal stories, stories about war, the emperor, etc. with great delight. And it was a wonderful time. He grew up into a strong, healthy, handsome, fresh, cheerful student, young man who faithfully protected his home. He was practical, helpful and affectionate. He loved to draw, do gymnastics, and play with the deaf mute students, whom he taught polite behavior, and who remained grateful to him all their lives. At school, things started slowly, but he was a capable student and became a lawyer. During his kidney infection in his twelfth year, I taught him French. Upon returning to school, he received a top mark for his first written assignment. He wrote a clear, well organized, meaningful, and solid essay. He was a capable soldier, full of strength and enthusiasm. The following obituary testifies to this. In a victorious advance, Lieutenant Reserve and Battery Commander L. S. Holder of the Iron Cross, First and Second Class, K-1, and the Brunswick War Merit Cross, fell at the head of his battery. Since the first day of mobilization, he had been a member of the regiment as an adjutant and battery commander. He had outstanding skill, far-sightedness, a strong will, and the most loyal care for the men under his command. It made him one of the regiment's strongest pillars. With exemplary bravery and fearlessness in critical moments, he inspired his subordinates with rousing words and performed miracles of courage with them. Although wounded for two weeks and with his arm in a sling, he did not leave his battery until a second shell fatally struck him. His name will remain unforgettable. Signed Lunzer, Major and Commander of the 44th Field Artillery Regiment. April 25th, 1918, Gunner Horn from the 2nd Battalion of the Trier Field Artillery Regiment 44 arrived and brought Ludwig's belongings. Instead of Horn, we were expecting Schmidt's, Ludwig's loyal comrade, and were therefore disappointed. He told us that Ludwig had been wounded and had therefore received leave, but had not taken it. In the early morning hours of 4 a.m. on the night of April 14th and 15th, Shrapnel had passed through the roof of the house, severely hitting him in the right knee while he was in bed. He died a few hours later. Horn brought Ludwig's wallet with its contents, watch, ironcross first class, and his packed suitcase. Lieutenant Kund wrote from the field to First Lieutenant Schreibler, Ludwig's friend, who was wounded in Crayfield. On the evening of April 14th, 1918, the division was relieved, and during the night a piece of shrapnel had to pass through two roof tiles of the large building in Nepa, the 2nd Battalion Gunner's Quarters, located downstream from the enemy. It pierced the floor, grazed an infantry lieutenant's chest on the upper floor, and then went through the wall and hit Ludwig on his knee. Nothing in the entire room remained intact. At first he was only missing his leg. With fabulous energy, he still whistled to the lads, telling them not to whisper so tearfully. It took some time before he could be transported by car. He soon fell asleep at the field hospital. When the doctor examined him a short time later, he was dead. At 3 30, the procession set off from Bondu, where almost the entire regiment is stationed. The two coffins were mounted on a gun carriage and a howitzer carriage, with five black pole horses. Behind them the single riding horse, Ludwig's. To the sides the two long rolls of the wreath carrier. Besides the general and the staff officers, the brigade commander and the three infantry regiment commanders also went along. Pastor Clark's speech was simple and skillful. The chorale singing performed afterwards was very beautiful. Until now, it has probably hardly been possible during the war to pay such complete tribute to the fallen of the regiment. Ludwig Lodge. Lies in the Montceau Cemetery. May 2nd, 1918, letter from Divisional Chaplain Clark to Ludwig's brother. Esteemed colleague, I have just received your inquiry dated the 24th of last month, to which I am replying immediately. By way of explanation regarding the external appearance of this letter, I should note that I am writing it in a small tent on the battlefield in front of the heavily occupied division's main dressing station, a unit that is once again enduring difficult days. I knew your brother Ludwig. He was an exceptionally capable officer and enjoyed extraordinary esteem. As the commander of a shock battery, which follows directly on the heels of the advancing infantry, he was slightly wounded. The doctor advised him to withdraw from the front line. However, he could not bring himself to leave his battery. The following night, while he was resting, he was struck so severely in the leg by a shell that crashed into the house that he died just a few hours later. This occurred in the village of Nepa, where I too spent that same night. On April 17th, I buried him, together with Lieutenant Oman, at Chateau Rouge, approximately six kilometers northwest of Lilly. It was a grand and dignified ceremony. The heavily garland coffins were transported on two gun carriages from Bondu, accompanied by the divisional commander, the regimental commanders, many officers of the division, and a large troop detachment from his regiment, to the cemetery located four kilometers away, where I delivered the graveside eulogy for both of these capable officers. I would be happy to send the speech, but I do not have it with me, and I do not know when I will regain access to my luggage. Might I suggest that you contact Professor Dr. Oman in Bonn. As I was personally close to her late husband, I sent the speech to her. She will surely be happy to send you a copy. With brotherly greetings and in heartfelt sympathy, yours devoted Clar. Pastor Nkrisnoch, currently division chaplain to the 214th Division, August 28, 1918. My dear Ludwig is my first thought in the morning and my last in the evening. He accompanies me all day. I thank God that he gave him to us. He was a wonderful gift, and preserved him for so long that he has so graciously protected him and richly blessed him. November seventh, nineteen eighteen. A beautiful dream this morning, between five and six. I dreamed. Ludwig was there. He stood in the living room in his shirt sleeves, as he often did in the summer, and spoke. His face so joyful, his demeanor was so cheerful that he radiated pure delight, just like the sun shining from a blue sky, sending light and warmth everywhere. I sat on the sofa and let my gaze rest upon my boy with great joy, reflecting on the time of mourning since his passing. Finally I felt drawn toward him. I said to him, I know you do not care for displays of affection, but we have suffered so deeply because you were taken from us, that now, having you back again, I simply must embrace and hold you close. And I took him in my arms and pressed him against me, stroked his cheek, and rejoiced with him most profoundly. We were truly of one heart and one soul. Oh how happy I was. Then I woke up. At first I did not know where I was, but then I called out to Mother. I had a uniquely beautiful dream. I will tell you about it later. All day long I remained in high spirits. November 14th, 1918, Brunswick, a province in the German Republic. The Duke and Empress have been deposed, as well as all Germany princes. Soldiers and Workers' Council have taken over. Everything is quiet and going about its work, and we work in our institution in peace and order. City Councilor von Frankenberg and others are in protective custody. Prisoners, for example, the deaf mute Mrs. Wolfe, who has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison, are free. The conditions in the armistice are terrible. Our soldiers are returning, and on the 14th and 15th, only soldiers traveled on the railway. What will become of this? December 31st, 1918. How full of hope we started this year, 1918, and how sadly we ended. At that time our beloved son Ludwig was still alive, a capable man with a good, steadfast character. He was a loving and caring son and brother, and an excellent lawyer, and an exemplary officer. A year ago, after brilliant victories, we believed in Germany's great future, and today enemies stand on the Rhine. Back then we still had our beloved emperor and our noble duke. We relied on our army and our navy, and now we have been abandoned. I am ashamed to be German, whereas before I was proud of my Waterland, and inspired my children and students with it. This armistice is a disgrace, peace, and insult. Oh, you short-sighted, deluded social democrats, what misery you have brought upon our people. And yet I do not lose heart. I trust in Gott and my work. In my cozy home, joy usually dwells, and now sorrow for Ludwig and our Germany. Thinking of Ludwig draws us to God into eternity. We remain united with him in love, and we work for Germany. Mother and Gertrude wear mourning clothes. The three of us maintain good fellowship with one another and our dear Hans and his family, as well as Greta and hers. In our institution, Wilhelm Vihy is missed. This faithful teacher and friend of children, he too rests in France. Hytiphus, an equally excellent teacher, has returned. Praise to God. Work is being done diligently. God has granted grace to my work and strength and joy and blessing. I love our evangelical church, our lodge, our care for the poor, my friends, and all my loved ones. With God in Covenant, I enter the year 1919, January 1st, 1919. The saddest New Year's Eve and New Year's celebration I have ever experienced. How joyfully we usually are on New Year's Eve. Our four children used to gather around us. We drank punch and gratefully remembered the past. We cheerfully enjoyed the present. We faced the future with hope. Last night only three of us were together. Mother, Gertrude, and I, weeping for our beloved Ludwig, who fell in France April 15th, 1918, after a victorious battle. He is buried in France, Cemetery of Honor 231. We found comfort in Jesus' words, I am with you always. This morning we prayed, On God, not on us. I went into St. Martin's Church, and after we had sung a New Year's hymn, we listened to a serious, true, and hope-filled sermon by my fellow countryman, Pastor Kuhnhold, on Jeremiah 18, verses 1 through 10. We just made it through the terrible four-year war full of hardship, which fostered the immorality and godlessness, the horrific defeat, and the revolution. God allowed this to happen in order to show what happens when greed, superficiality, vanity, hedonism, pride, and disunity reign. We old people, we have grown ten, twenty years older in these four years, cannot understand the new era. But our youth can. They will build a new Germany and feel at home in it. We are only here to help and guide them. The uplifting service concluded with, Now thank we all our God.

Robyn 53:43

The following excerpt is from the farewell speech of General Paul von Hindenburg in his address to soldiers at the end of the war. Hindenburg not only led the army in World War I, but kept it intact after the war. He would become president in Germany in 1925 and became a critical part of the rise of Hitler's chancellorship. His speech gives a perspective of the future of Germany, unlike many outside the country, in 1919.

Lee 54:09

Germany, the goal and starting point of so much when human civilization and culture will count as naught only so long as she ceases to believe in her great historical mission. My faith is unshakable, that the best among us, with their deep, strong thoughts, will succeed in fusing the ideas of today with the precious relics of ancient times. Such is the firm conviction with which I left the bloody battlefields of this war of nations. I have witnessed to the historic struggle of my fatherland, and I shall never believe that it was its death struggle. I have often been asked the question on which I based my hopes for our ultimate victory even in the darkest hours of the war. I could only point to my faith in the justice of our cause, and my confidence in our fatherland and the army. I passed through the serious crises of this long war, and the days that followed it in a state of mind and feeling, for which I can find no better expression than the words in which Field Marshal Hermann von Boyen, when he was Prussian War Minister in 1812, wrote to his sovereign in the midst of the greatest military and political afflictions of our enslaved fatherland. I am not in any way ignorant of the dangers of our situation, but where we have no alternative but subjection or honor, religion gives me the strength to do everything which right and duty demand. Man can never foresee with certainty the end of the task with to which he has set his hand. For the time being, a flood of wild political passions and sounding speeches has overwhelmed our state, and apparently destroyed all our sacred traditions. Yet this flood will subside again, nearly a half century ago, by our own efforts. When our national ideals and our national conscience have resumed, we shall see how moral values have been struggling and the great war on which no nation is entitled to look back with more pride than the German people. Then and only then will the blood of all those who fell, believing in the greatness of Germany, have been poured out not in vain. In that hope, I lay down my pen and firmly build on you, young Germany.