Dear Soldier! 1940 German Soldiers Parish Easter Wartime Letter Ibbenbüren Catholic WWII

Original March 1940 German wartime parish letter sent from Ibbenbüren, Germany, to local soldiers serving away from home. The letter opens “Liebe Soldaten!” — “Dear Soldiers!” and was issued by the parish clergy shortly before Easter 1940.

This is an interesting early-war home-front document showing how a German Catholic parish maintained contact with its servicemen during the first year of WWII. The letter discusses correspondence from soldiers scattered throughout Germany, changes of military addresses, local news, soldiers from Ibbenbüren, religious observance during Lent and preparations for Easter.

Notable Content

The clergy thank the soldiers for the many reply letters received from “all German districts in which Ibbenbüren’s sons serve the Fatherland.” Soldiers are asked to notify the parish whenever their military addresses change and to provide addresses for other men from Ibbenbüren serving in their units.

The letter then gives news from the parish and mentions several individuals by name, including:

Kpl. Artmann – stated to have left the parish and to be serving as a Sanitätssoldat (medical soldier) at Riesenburg in West Prussia.

Kpl. Kunze – reported to have left the community following the bishop’s call in order to continue his studies in Münster.

Seminarpriester Kpl. Iversloh – from Diestedde near Beckum, mentioned as Kunze’s replacement.

Lent & Easter Message

A substantial portion concerns Lent (Fastenzeit) and the approach of Easter. The priests acknowledge the hardships and sacrifices of military service and ask the soldiers to remember the spiritual meaning of Christ carrying the Cross.

An especially evocative passage refers to:

“den feldgrauen Soldatenrock”
“the field-gray soldier’s tunic”

The clergy encourage the men to participate in Easter confession and communion (Osterbeichte und Osterkommunion) whenever circumstances permit.

The letter closes with:

“Nun lebt wohl! Wir wünschen Euch allen ein recht frohes Osterfest und den reichsten Segen des Siegers von Golgatha!”

Translation:

“Now farewell! We wish all of you a truly happy Easter and the richest blessing of the Victor of Golgotha!”

It is signed on behalf of the parish clergy:

“Eure Pfarrgeistlichen” — “Your Parish Clergy”

with an original handwritten signature appearing to read Surkamp, Vicar.

Historical Interest

An excellent example of the relationship between the German home front, Catholic Church and serving soldiers during the early months of WWII. Rather than being a generic form letter, it contains local names, locations, military references and discussion of correspondence between soldiers and their home parish.

The March 1940 date is particularly interesting, falling during the period between the Polish campaign and the major Western campaigns of May–June 1940.

Condition

Original period document with horizontal and vertical folds, light age toning, minor edge wear and normal handling marks. Typed text remains quite clear and the handwritten signature is strong. Please see photographs for exact condition.

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