Baptism by a German Chaplain.

[Chap15]

A Baptism by a German Chaplain. I just received a bunch of pics, death cards of German chaplains. This is my favorite. The other side of war that people forget (or don't want to teach).

[junior]

Very nice pic! Thanks for sharing!

Junior.

[Si1964]

Chap, Nice pic, just looking at it though, do you think it is a service in Russia?? Just looking at the lady with baby. For we know that although the communist ethic of allowing churches etc, there was an under ground following.

If so slightly ironic that German invaders carrying out christian service for a Russian.

[webr55]

Very nice pic. I had a great-granduncle who was killed in action as a chaplain in WWI. Don't have a pic of him, unfortunately. Chap, do you happen to know whether WWI chaplains can be researched?

Regards
Chris

[Chap15]

Here is a pic of the same chaplain conducting a funeral service. In the background is a building. Although the first baptism picture has a typical russian thatched roof, this building is more tropical, but I could be wrong. Perhaps building like this were found in Russia. Interesting that I got these pics together, the beginning of life and the end of life. Makes ya think.

Chap, Nice pic, just looking at it though, do you think it is a service in Russia?? Just looking at the lady with baby. For we know that although the communist ethic of allowing churches etc, there was an under ground following.

If so slightly ironic that German invaders carrying out christian service for a Russian.

[Chap15]

I have serveral works dealing with WW1 Chaplains. If you have his name, I could help you out. You could try emailing the US Army Chaplain museum. But there the WW1 records are not complete.

Very nice pic. I had a great-granduncle who was killed in action as a chaplain in WWI. Don't have a pic of him, unfortunately. Chap, do you happen to know whether WWI chaplains can be researched?

Regards
Chris

[Chris Liontas]

If you are taking a German military Pfarrer, yes they can be researched, it really depends on what state he served. If he was Prussian it should be fairly easy for someone in the forum to track him down. Talk to Rick Lundstrom (I think now Rick Research) he has ranklists for the Prussian and Bavarian armies including chaplains. I am sure he would be more than happy to help.

If that does not work, you could try

Deutches Dienestalle or the German Archives (online). I am not sure how exactly to spell/find them, but Rick could help you with that. Check the Imperial section of the forum

[webr55]

Thanks! Here's what I know about my great-granduncle: His name was either Otto Koske or Gustav Koske. Before WWI, he went to Africa as a missionary and later became Feldprediger during the war. He was from Prussia (Pomerania), so I guess he was in some Prussian unit while KIA (don't know when). As his family lived in Erfurt later, however, it might also be that he was in some Thuringian regiment. Don't know for sure.

Regards
Chris

[Chap15]

Chris,
Sorry, I assumed you were American. Chris has the best lead for German Chaplain research. Love to hear what you find.
Bob

Thanks! Here's what I know about my great-granduncle: His name was either Otto Koske or Gustav Koske. Before WWI, he went to Africa as a missionary and later became Feldprediger during the war. He was from Prussia (Pomerania), so I guess he was in some Prussian unit while KIA (don't know when). As his family lived in Erfurt later, however, it might also be that he was in some Thuringian regiment. Don't know for sure.

Regards
Chris

[Larrister]

Hi

Do you think lady in photo with baby may be Volksdeutscher. I believe there were quite a few people of German descent living in Russian territories especially the Ukraine a that time.

Larrister

[Chap15]

Hi

Do you think lady in photo with baby may be Volksdeutscher. I believe there were quite a few people of German descent living in Russian territories especially the Ukraine a that time.

Larrister

That is a very good thought. I had never thought abou that.
Several thoughts...Germany only had Roman Catholic, Evangelisch (Lutheran), and Muslim chaplains (13th SS). Would a persecuted Eastern Orthodox have a Roman Catholic or Lutheran perform a baptism. A Eastern Orthodix baptism would include dipping the baby complety in water, not pouring like the picture. Most chaplains for that time period would not compromise their mode of baptism.
Just a thought.
Bob

[Rick Research]

The Uniate Catholics of western Ukraine and eastern Poland followed Orthodox ritual but acknowledged the supremacy of Rome. Centered around Lvov, these Eastern Rite Catholics continued armed resistance under the Soviets until the late 1950s, when the last "bandit" cells were exterminated or allowed to come in for highly publicized (if dubious in all but a few cases) "amnesty."

Nikita Khruschev made his bones-- literally-- in this region just before the German invasion, and he remained a bitter enemy of the Catholic Church, having the Primate assassinated in the 1950s. For some "wartime" late 1940s-50s award documents, see Communist Forum under search name "Lvov" or "Grinenko."

[webr55]

Hi Rick,

glad you joined in this thread. As I wrote in post #8, I'm looking for information on a great-granduncle of mine who was Feldprediger in WWI, killed in action. Is it possible to research him?
His name was either Otto Koske or Gustav Koske. Before WWI, he went to Africa as a missionary and later became Feldprediger during the war. He was from Prussia (Pomerania), so I guess he was in some Prussian unit while KIA (don't know when). As his family lived in Erfurt later, however, it might also be that he was in some Thuringian regiment. Don't know for sure.

Thanks a lot
Chris<!-- / message -->

[Rick Research]

Not from any period source that I have -- the Prussians only listed the career regular army chaplains, not the "war's duration" ones.

[webr55]

Ok, thanks anyway!

Chris