Chemnitz during the First World War
Depictions and documents in a text and image folder now available from the city archive
As part of the publication series "In the footsteps of the past - Chemnitz history", the city archive is publishing a self-compiled text and image folder about the First World War in Chemnitz. The folder analyses a piece of German and European history from the perspective of the city's history. It is suitable for history lessons and is aimed at pupils and teachers as well as readers interested in history. It is the fourth of its kind after publications on Georgius Agricola, the city fortifications and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The folder is now available from the town archives during opening hours at a price of 8.60 euros.
The First World War also marked a change of era for our town. It marked the end of an era of advancement, of successful economic and urban development, but also of the intellectual and cultural development of a bourgeois society that was, all in all, still intact. The text section sheds light on the position of the war in the political landscape of the city and the effects of the war on the situation of the labour force. The next section shows that Chemnitz's large-scale industry certainly benefited from the war. The city administration was faced with completely new challenges as it was now tasked with social welfare and the management of food and raw materials, for which an independent office structure was created. The war also had an impact on the city's financial situation. It led to a split in Chemnitz's social democracy, the founding of a new party in the labour movement and ultimately resulted in the November Revolution. Chemnitz became part of the first democratically organised state in German history, the Weimar Republic. All in all, it is clear that Chemnitz had changed significantly.
24 appendices document the events of the time in words and pictures. Among other things, they refer to "Chemnitz regiments in the war", "Field post letters" and "War deaths" and depict the lives of women and children during the war. The list of war bonds shows how the people of Chemnitz also helped to finance the war. One appendix is dedicated to the prisoner-of-war camp in Ebersdorf. A final section documents the culture of remembrance at Chemnitz and French cemeteries in the form of graves and memorials. An extensive list of archival documents and literature is also included, which refers to holdings in the city archives and the city library.
Opening hours of the town archive:
Monday
8.30 - 15.30
Tuesday and Thursday
8.30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday
8.30 a.m. - 12 noon