4 original WWII German Death Cards (Sterbebilder)

An evocative collection of four original WWII-era German memorial cards. This set is particularly notable for its variety of service branches and its documentation of the post-war fate of German prisoners in both Eastern and Western custody.

​Included Cards & Details:

​Luftwaffe (POW France): Alois Stenglein, Unteroffizier. Survived the war only to die in July 1949 in a POW camp in Metz, France.

​Gebirgsjäger (Mountain Troops): Albert Wittmann, Obergefreiter. A highly decorated soldier (multiple bravery awards) killed in the final weeks of the war (April 21, 1945) during the Italian campaign.

​Panzer-Abteilung (Armored Unit): Fritz Weigl, Obergefreiter. Killed December 1944 in Silesia (Eastern Front) at age 25. Cards for Panzer units are highly collectible.
Rare Panzer-Abteilung Card
​Soldier: Fritz Weigl
Rank: Obergefreiter
Unit: Panzer-Abteilung (Tank Battalion)
Date of Death: December 30, 1944
Location: Silesia (Schlesien), Eastern Front
​This card is a significant piece of armored warfare history. By late December 1944, Panzer units in Silesia were engaged in desperate defensive operations against the Soviet winter offensives. Cards from this period documenting Panzer personnel are particularly prized by collectors for their rarity and the intensity of the campaigns they represent.

​Condition: Excellent preservation of the black-bordered frame and religious iconography.
​Significance: Documents a member of a front-line armored unit during the final defense of German territory in the East.

​POW Russia (Portrait Photo): Johann Anzinger, Oberfeldwebel. Features a clear uniform portrait. Died in Soviet captivity in May 1946.
​
​100% original

Fair to Good Condition. Two cards show water staining/foxing on the lower edges (see photos), but all text and images remain legible.

​Themes: Military history, genealogy, POW research, and religious iconography of the 1940s.