What do I have? Imperial Document?

[RNLSGC]

Ok,

I am new to this Forum and I admit that I am still trying to find my way away the numerous numerous Topics so please excuse me. I have this document which I would like to find out what and who he is or was. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[RNLSGC]

Here is a scan of the reverse

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

a nice doc authorising the Captain to drive around the areas of the Armee Abteilung Falkenhausen in a car or by train.

A nice goodie.

[Guest Rick Research]

It authorizes him to pass checkpoints on his duty with the War Clothing Office of the XVth Army Corps business.

Hauptmann der Landwehr I (Infanterie) Foerstner lived in Berlin in 1914. He held a Prussian Reserve-Landwehr Cross for XX Years Service by then.

This pass says he was born in Stargard, Pomerania on 10 May 1865.

Originally issued by a Hauptmann who was one of the Corps Adjutants for the period 18 April to 18 June 1915, the reverse shows extended clearance on 27.6. to 31.8 per a Major on the staff.

It may be possible to find more on him if he was a civil servant, and he will certainly be in the Berlin City Directories online, but we're missing his first name. Foerstner is NOT a common name.

[Guest Rick Research]

Ready for the Magic Show?

In 1908 PAUL Foerstner was a Provinzial Steuer Sekret?r (Provincial Tax equivalent of a senior Lieutenant)-- his entry from the 1908/1909 German Orders Almanac =

Place and date of birth confirms that is HIM.

For the editor of the German Orders Almanac's WW1 ribbon bar, see--

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18038&hl=Eppstein

Now here is Foerstner's entry in the 1914 Prussian/W?rttemberg army Rank List:

where he is a mere 2 names away from MY Hauptmann dL Wilhelm H?ne, whose documents (including his own "LD1" for XX Years Reserve Service, signed by later GFM/Reichspr?sident Paul von Hindenburg) can be seen at:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=22551&hl=H?ne

Several choruses of the Walt Disney "It's A Small World After All" song may proceed here while I go look at Berlin house directories.... :rolleyes:

[Guest Rick Research]

NO VIRGINS WERE SACRIFICED IN THE COMMISSION OF THIS THREAD.

Thank heavens for the Zentral- und- Landesbibliothek Berlin online, which has Berlin city directories from the 18th century until 1943.

http://adressbuch.zlb.de/

Herewith just a few randomly spaced checks on Herr Foerstner.

First stop in the Time Tunnel, 1908:

Page 589 confirms his first name, and job, and street address cross-checked from the German Orders Almanac. He had his own home telephone, lucky man.

[Guest Rick Research]

Let us skip forward to 1915, the year of his Pass above. Sure enough. He's moved but still has his own phone. He is now listed as Oberzollsekret?r which tells us that he was a Customs official (still same level) rather than a tax man as first appeared. But he was NOT a Prussian STATE or German REICH official-- I've also been away in the Research Gnome Mines and he was not listed there.

[Guest Rick Research]

He survived the war-- not listed in "Dead Prussians." So let's try...

1924. Page 697--

Hello! This lists him as "Rechnungsrat," which is basically a meaningless courtesy title applied to all sorts of jobs as an honorific for civil servants who had glass ceilinged in their paygrade...

but Herr Foerstner was a Major der Landwehr au?er Dienst. :cheers:

[RNLSGC]

To All,

I can not thank each of enough for identifying this document for me even if I dont completly understand what exactly it all means?? As said, or not, German militaria is Greek to me but holds a fascination and eagerness to learn.

As a fllow up question, Are such documents common, uncommon, etc....?

[Guest Rick Research]

Last stop in my random checks-- 1933. Page 622--

I just wanted to see if he'd lived to see Stormtroopers in torchlit parades... and he had.

You can go back from 1908 and forward from 1934-43 to check on him. When/if he disappears from one year's listing to the next, that's probably when he died.

If he was still alive in 1943, that's where this story will peter out.

Not bad for a floppy piece of paper and a photo. :cheers:

[Guest Rick Research]

The document is literally a "pass-port." You know in movies when the Sinister German snarls "Papers!"...

This is that.

Every checkpoint, road block, sentry post, train security sweep... that's what got him by.

These almost never turn up.

He-- or Frau Foerstner-- probably kept it for the photo.

Here's a SOVIET one, for the East Berlin area of the former DDR:

The more things change, the more they stay the same.... :catjava:

[Glenn J]

RNLSGC,

Paul Foerstner (Landwehrbezirk Stolp) was commisioned into the Colbergisches Grenadier-Regiment Graf Gneisenau (2. Pomm.) Nr. 9 on 13 May 1895 with a Patent of 13.5.95 V4v. Seems he was a late starter as he was already around thirty when he was commissioned and he had already transfered in Landwehr status by 1897/1898. Promoted to Oberleutnant der Landwehr Infanterie I on 15 September 1905 and to Hauptmann der Landwehr Infanterie I on 19 November 1912.

Regards

Glenn

[Eric Stahlhut]

here is something similar from december of 1945 found in an arbeitsbuch

[Eric Stahlhut]

pink card

[Eric Stahlhut]

nothing fancy, but like the cards says at the bottom: if you lost this, you'd regret it

[bob lembke]

Rick;

The Berlin address books are great. Have been tracking down my grand-father year by year post-war, and also verified his job (director of the stock-yards) in 1913. Thanks for the lead.

Bob Lembke