World War I German Feldpost card featuring a stark photographic view of the war-damaged Lilienfeldstraße in Mitau (now Jelgava), Latvia, sent during the German occupation in October 1917.
Original German (Sütterlin/Kursive):
"Im Felde den 15. 10. 17. L. Freundin Resi! ... Sende Dir eine Ansichtskarte ... Bin noch gesund und munter ..."
English Translation:
"In the field, Oct 15, 17. Dear friend Resi! ... Sending you a postcard ... I am still healthy and cheerful ..."
This late-war card documents the presence of specialized **Bavarian Foot Artillery** units in the Mitau sector during the autumn of 1917. The distinctive purple rectangular unit cachet (Briefstempel) identifies the sender's attachment to the **2. Batterie** of a Bavarian Landwehr Foot Artillery Regiment. These heavy artillery units were essential for both the defense of the occupied Baltic territories and the ongoing siege operations on the Eastern Front.
The image side provides a somber record of the destruction in Mitau, specifically along **Lilienfeldstraße**. The photograph captures several partially collapsed stone buildings, including one with only a single gable wall remaining. In the distance, several industrial chimneys stand amidst the ruins, highlighting the impact of the conflict on the city's manufacturing infrastructure. Such views were widely circulated by the German military administration to document the "Kriegsschauplatz" (theater of war) for the home front.
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