Original WWI German Foot Artillery 26 Soldier Death Case Franz Wenzel 1919 Doc For Sale

Dated 19 September 1919, the document was sent from Landsberg an der Warthe to the civil registrar in Ostoje, Kreis Rawitsch. It forwarded Franz Wenzel’s military death case for the necessary civil-registration procedures.

This is an original administrative transmittal document—not the final civil death certificate. The two supporting enclosures originally sent with it are no longer present.

• Original German military administrative document

• Dated 19 September 1919

• Issued 26
  Abt. Ib

• Sent to the civil registrar in Ostoje, Kreis Franz Wenzel

• Records his birth as:

  • 23 September 1891

  • Ostoje, Kreis Section 3, Item 6, Annex 9 of the Army Regulations

  • Military file notation appears to read J 5790/19 – Todesanzeige

  • Civil receiving notation appears to include 7 October 1919, No. 105/19

  • Marked “2 Anlagen”, indicating two original enclosures

  • Handwritten civil-registry annotations and official signature

  • Printed in period German Fraktur script with handwritten entries

  Translation and research summary

  The principal text translates approximately as:

  In accordance with Section 3, Item 6, of Annex 9 to the Army Regulations, the enclosed documentation concerning the death of Gefreiter Franz Wenzel, born at Ostoje in the Rawitsch district on 23 September 1891, is forwarded for the necessary further action.

  The handwritten marginal notes appear to record that:

  • Franz Wenzel’s death and marriage were entered in his birth register

  • A certificate was issued and sent to his wife

  • The case was subsequently filed by a clerk, apparently named Mielke, on or around 9 October

  These annotations establish that Franz Wenzel was married and that the German civil authorities completed administrative action after receiving the military documentation.

  Historical context

  The issuing office was the postwar Abwicklungsstelle, or liquidation office, of Ersatz-Fußartillerie-Bataillon 26. Such offices completed unfinished military personnel, casualty and family paperwork after the dissolution and demobilization of Imperial German Army formations.

  Although dated 1919, the document concerns the settlement of a First World War soldier’s death case. It is an interesting example of the bureaucratic aftermath of the war and the continued processing of casualty records after hostilities had ended.

  The document does not state Franz Wenzel’s exact:

  • Date of death

  • Place of death

  • Cause of death

  • Battlefield or campaign

  • Final frontline battery or regiment

  • Burial location

  Those details were likely contained in the two missing enclosures.

  Condition

  The document remains in good original condition for a working military administrative paper more than a century old:

  • Overall age toning and discoloration

  • Scattered light staining and minor foxing

  • Original horizontal and vertical fold lines

  • Light wrinkling, waviness and storage curvature

  • Bottom edge is folded or curled upward from storage

  • Small edge nicks and minor corner wear

  • Localized wear near the lower-left margin

  • Some handwritten entries and pencil annotations are lighter or faded

  • Ink and printed text remain generally clear and readable

  • Soldier’s name, birth information, unit heading and document date remain legible

  • Reverse shows natural show-through from the printed and handwritten front

  • Two referenced enclosures are missing

  • No major tear through the principal text

  • No lamination or visible modern restoration

  • No cleaning, flattening or alteration has been attempted

  Please examine all photographs carefully. They form an important part of the condition description. The exact document shown is the document the buyer will receive.

  Measurements

  Approximate size: [add exact dimensions before publishing]

  Shipping

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  The document will be supported with rigid backing and carefully packaged for safe shipment. Tracking will be provided.

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  Item specifics

  Type: Military Death-Case Document
  Document Type: Death Notification Transmittal / Civil Registry Correspondence
  Conflict: WW I (1914–1918)
  Original/Reproduction: Original
  Country/Region of Manufacture: Germany
  Region of Origin: Germany
  Military Branch: Imperial German Army / Foot Artillery
  Unit: Ersatz-Fußartillerie-Bataillon 26
  Issuing Office: Abwicklungs-Stelle, Abteilung Ib
  Named Person: Franz Wenzel
  Rank: Gefreiter
  Birth Date: September 23, 1891
  Birthplace: Ostoje, Kreis Rawitsch
  Document Date: September 19, 1919
  Issuing Location: Landsberg an der Warthe
  Language: German
  Material: Paper
  Script: Fraktur and Handwritten German
  Number of Documents: 1
  Enclosures: Two Referenced, Not Present
  Signed: Yes
  Modified Item: No
  Theme: Militaria
  Condition: Used / Original Period Condition