„Bibel rettet Leben“ – eine Familiengeschichte

Die Bibel als Rettung vor dem Tod

Eine der beeindruckendsten Familiengeschichten trug Prof. Gottfried Geiler aus Leipzig zum Online-Portal europeana1914-1918.eu bei. Eine Bibel rettete seinem Vater, dem Infanteristen Kurt Geiler, 1917 das Leben.

In den nicht enden wollenden Stellungskämpfen im Nordosten Frankreichs lag Kurt Geiler im Schützengraben und schlief wie immer mit der Bibel unter seinem Kopf. Ein Volltreffer zerstörte den Unterstand fast vollständig, überall waren Tote und Verwundete. Kurt Geiler konnte sich unverletzt aus den Trümmern retten. Später fand er seine Bibel wieder und zu seinem Erstaunen steckte darin ein großer Granatsplitter. Ohne die Bibel hätte dieser ihm wohl den Kopf zerschmettert. Seit dieser Zeit ist diese Bibel ein wichtiges Erinnerungsstück der Familie.

(Text by Frank Drauschke)

Saved by his Bible - a family history

The Bible that saved a 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.

(Text by Frank Drauschke)

Nachdem das Projekt mit großem Erfolg im Jahr 2011 in Deutschland angelaufen ist wird es 2012 auf mindestens fünf europäische Länder ausgeweitet. Kommen Sie zu unseren neuen Aktionstagen: Slowenien, Nova Gorica, France Bevk Bibliothek, 28. March 2012 Dänemark, Schloss Sonderburg, 24. April 2012 Slowenien Mittwoch, 28. März France Bevk Public Library Nova Gorica Dienstag, 19 April 2012, Military Museum of the Slovenian Armed Forces /Vojaški muzej Maribor Mittwoch, 23 Mai 2012 Celje Public Library / Osrednja knjižnica Celje Celje Dänemark Dienstag, 24. April Schloss Sonderburg

Medical team - Blackpool

Stop Press *** New Roadshow Dates ***

After the success of our World War One family history roadshows in Germany last year, we're now set to visit at least five more countries in 2012. Come and join us at: National Library of Ireland 21 March France Bevk Public Library 28 March Sønderborg Castle 24 April Ireland Wednesday, 21 March 1000 - 1900 National Library of Ireland Kildare Street Dublin 2 Tel: +353 1 603 02 00 Slovenia Wednesday, 28 March France Bevk Public Library Nova Gorica Denmark Tuesday, 24 April 1000 - 1800 Sønderborg Castle Sønderbro 1 6400 Sønderborg Denmark Tel: +45 3373 3396 mch@kulturstyrelsen.dk

War records solve the mystery of soldier’s missing finger For most of his adult life, William Rose Townhill’s family assumed he had lost the ring finger on his left hand during a feat of derring-do in the First World War. But almost 100 years after the injury, his grandson Alan Townhill has discovered the real story behind the missing digit. William was a 19-year-old farm labourer when he signed up as a driver and gunner in the Royal Field Artillery 34th Division on April 26, 1915. Apart from a spell in an Australian Field Hospital where his injured finger was amputated, the teenager from Branston, Lincolnshire, survived the war relatively unscathed. Alan, of Lostock Hall, Preston, said: “No-one ever asked my granddad how he lost his finger – we just all thought it was because he’d been hurt in action. It was only when we had a dig through his war records we uncovered the real, quite amusing reason behind it.” From looking through copies of his hospital notes and his logbook, Alan discovered that his granddad was actually injured while going for a smoke during operations in France. “According to the paperwork, my granddad’s pipe was broken and he wanted to have a smoke, so he thought he would fix it with a copper tube,” said Alan. “But as he cut through it, he soon realised he was chopping through a detonator and it exploded, causing him to lose his finger. “Granddad was afraid people would think he was trying to leave the war because it was well-known that some people harmed themselves on purpose, just to get out of combat. All my granddad had tried to do was take a break with his pipe. “After the incident he was arrested and taken to an Australian field hospital where his finger was amputated. He was pretty unlucky because while he was there he caught diphtheria and was away from the front line for a short time. “No evidence was found of his misdemeanour, so he was not charged. But according to his log book, he did have 15 days pay docked – all because he’d wanted to go for a smoke.” Alan and his family revealed their story, along with pictures of William Rose Townhill and copies of his war records at our WW1 Family History Roadshow in the Museum of Lancashire, Preston, on March 10. It is the latest roadshow in a series that is being rolled-out across 10 countries in Europe this year to create a unique pan-European account of WW1 that is available to everyone. The roadshow, which began in Germany last year, and has already visited Luxembourg, is en route to Dublin on March 21, followed by Slovenia, Denmark and Banbury, Oxfordshire, in the coming weeks.

Gold gab ich für Eisen

Dieser Ring von 1914 mit der Inschrift „Gold gab ich für Eisen“ wurde am ersten Aktionstag in Frankfurt/Main von Brigitte Bieche als eines der ersten Sammlungsobjekte eingereicht.
Der Ring ist nicht nur ein faszinierendes Zeugnis der Sozialgeschichte und das ganz persönliche Erinnerungsstück einer Familie, sondern verweist darüber hinaus auf eine staatlich geförderte Sammelaktion zur Kriegsfinanzierung in Deutschland. In verschiedenen Teilen Österreich-Ungarns gab es ähnliche Spendenaufrufe. Patriotische Bürger lieferten ihren wertvollen Schmuck ab und trugen stattdessen eiserne Ringe und Broschen. Damit wurde eine Idee aus der Zeit der Befreiungskriege wiederbelebt: Im Jahre 1813 hatte Prinzessin Marianne von Preußen an die Frauen appelliert, ihren Goldschmuck zu spenden. Schmuck aus Eisen, der bis dahin nur als Symbol der Trauer in Gebrauch war, erlangte so als Zeichen für Vaterlandstreue einen neuen Status.
(Text: Dr. Stephen Bull)

I Gave Gold for Iron

This ring inscribed "Gold gab ich für Eisen", 1914, ("I gave gold for iron"), was one of the first pieces brought by contributors to the first public participation day in Frankfurt. The contributor was Brigitte Bieche.

Whilst this particular ring is a fascinating piece of social history and unique to one woman, and one family, it also represents part of an officially sponsored programme of fund raising for the German war effort. Similar drives were also made in various parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Patriotic citizens handed in valuable jewellery, and instead took to wearing base metals. Interestingly this revived an idea used in the Wars of Liberation, when, as long ago as 1813, the Prussian Royal family had appealed to their womenfolk to make similar donations. Iron jewellery, hitherto used mainly as a symbol of mourning, then acquired a new status.

(Text by Dr. Stephen Bull)

More items from the Frankfurt public participation day can be found by searching the online Europeana 1914-1918 archive.

In the Munitions Factories

The First World War saw large numbers of women recruited all over Europe to help the war effort on the home front. In Germany this sat uneasily with policies intended to support the family, but demand for munitions grew rapidly.

This postcard of factory workers in 1917, was contributed to the Europeana 1914-1918 collection by Gustav Käfer at the public participation day in Stuttgart in 2011. It shows his mother Alwine Auch, aged just 17 (back row, third from the right). The "Fortuna" factory where she worked was in Pragstraße in Bad Cannstatt, close to where the public participation day was held at the Wurttemberg State Library.

The original caption says that the munitions are made with 'heart and hand for the Fatherland'. Close examination of the picture suggests that the items being manufactured are bombs (Minen) for the 7.6 cm light mortar (Lichteminenwerfer), a weapon used by most infantry battalions in the latter part of the war.

(Text by Dr. Stephen Bull)