My Sterbebild Tribute Display

[Steven Baumgartner]

As my signature below states my main collecting focus is Sterbebild(death cards) with the same last name as myself.

I first started collecting these about 20 years ago and I had about 40 unique ones before I joined this forum a few years ago. Since then due to the contacts I have made here my collection has taken off. I am now up to 138 unique ones now!

Every card I get I research and try to learn as much about the individual as possible. I put each card in a nice archival album and also record their place of death on a large map.

Some people may find collecting Sterbebild cards as morbid, but I think I am paying tribute to some of my possible distant relatives who died way to young.

Be sure to look at the summary page...it is interesting to see the statistics especially the perponderance of deaths on the Russian Front.

Thanks for looking.
Steve

[Steven Baumgartner]

album

[Steven Baumgartner]

map

[Steven Baumgartner]

closeup of map

[Steven Baumgartner]

closeup of names

[Steven Baumgartner]

last one...summary page

[BRUNO FRANCK]

hello Steven

this is a great collection,and what a lot of work you ' ve have done,more than 20 years

greetings bruno

[Etienne B.]

Hi ,

I like the idea.Nothing morbid in my opinion,just pure human interest

[Paulus_Gun]

What an unusual, but very interesting collection! You really put a lot of work in the presentation.

I'd be hard for me collect Sterbebilds with my last name, because only 10 people with my last name died (according to Volksbund).

[Eric JB]

Hi Steve,

Great !!!

Never seen a death card collection done the way you did it.

For sure this is something special.

There is nothing morbid at all.

Thanks for showing.

yours friendly

Eric-Jan

[jurggie]

Great collection!! I really love your map, I now wanna make something like that as well, you give me inspiration

[Volksgrenadier 44]

Just love it mate

KR
Rossco

[joeimwalle]

cool

very cool stuff steve.

have you started on ww1 cards yet.
i know ive been doing the same with my first name joseph or josef from ww1 deathcards, have over 400 diff so far with the first name joseph.

went threw a few and found this one baumgartner

josef b
gefr 16 inf regt 12th komp
died sept 6 1916 in rumania area

enjoy the pics


great collection you have
would be great to turn into a book somday

as ive thought about doing with the joseph cards..

joe

[joeimwalle]

closeup

closeup

[Steven Baumgartner]

Thank you all for your kind words! Yes it is a lot of work, but it is a hell of a lot of fun researching each new card and hunting for additional cards. In fact Bill Petz from the forum just hooked me up with a guy that has 21 Baumgartner cards that I dont have....I am pumped!

Steve