WWI German Bavarian Feldpost Postcard 2nd Infantry Regiment Crown Prince 1916

Original World War I Imperial German Bavarian Feldpost postcard, mailed in August 1916 by a soldier associated with the Royal Bavarian 2nd Infantry Regiment “Kronprinz” and the 1st Bavarian Infantry Division.

This is an especially interesting military postal-history card because the front is printed with the patriotic Bavarian marching song:

“Unsere Bayern im Felde!”
“Our Bavarians in the Field!”

The song was dedicated to:

“Seiner Kgl. Hoheit dem Kronprinzen Rupprecht von Bayern in tiefster Ehrfurcht gewidmet.”

Translation:

“Dedicated with deepest reverence to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria.”

The lyrics were written by Helene v. Besnard, with music by Georg Liebling, and the complete musical notation and lyrics are printed on the front.

The reverse contains another particularly important printed statement:

“Der Reinerlös wird dem Kgl. bayer. 2. Inf.-Regt. ‘Kronprinz’ für dessen Hinterbliebene zugeführt.”

Translation:

“The net proceeds will be given to the Royal Bavarian 2nd Infantry Regiment ‘Crown Prince’ for the benefit of its surviving dependents.”

This indicates the postcard was sold as a wartime fundraising item benefiting the families/dependents of soldiers of the regiment.

Military Postal Markings

The reverse carries a strong blue unit/Feldpost marking that reads substantially:

2. Bayer. Inf. Rgt., 4. Komp.
Feldpost 1. Bayer. Inf. Div.

This identifies the sender with the 4th Company, Royal Bavarian 2nd Infantry Regiment, operating under the 1st Bavarian Infantry Division.

It also carries a circular Feldpost cancellation dated 18 August 1916, making this a genuine wartime-used piece rather than simply an unused patriotic card.

The postcard was addressed to Dortmund, Germany.

Historical Significance

The Royal Bavarian 2nd Infantry Regiment “Kronprinz” was one of the long-established infantry formations of the Bavarian Army and served as part of the Imperial German Army during WWI. Its honorary association with the Bavarian crown prince is directly reflected in both the postcard’s dedication to Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria and the regiment’s “Kronprinz” title.

The combination of dated Feldpost usage, identifiable regiment and company, 1st Bavarian Infantry Division marking, patriotic sheet music, and wartime charity/fundraising purpose makes this considerably more interesting than a typical WWI German postcard.

Publisher: Odeon-Verlag, München 23, Viktor Scheffelstraße 14.
Printing credit on front: Südd. Buch- u. Musikalien-Druckerei, München 29.

Condition:
Original period-used postcard showing expected age and postal wear, toning, edge/corner wear, small creases and handling marks. Handwritten message, unit stamp and Feldpost cancellation remain visible. Please examine all photographs carefully for exact condition.

An excellent addition to a collection of WWI German Feldpost, Bavarian Army, Crown Prince Rupprecht, Imperial German infantry, military music or regimental postal history.

SEO Keywords / Search Terms: WWI German Feldpost postcard, WW1 Bavarian postcard, Bavarian Army Feldpost, 2nd Bavarian Infantry Regiment, 2 Bayer Inf Rgt, 4 Kompanie, 1st Bavarian Infantry Division, 1 Bayer Inf Div, Kronprinz Regiment, Crown Prince Rupprecht Bavaria, Rupprecht von Bayern, Unsere Bayern im Felde, German military music, WWI patriotic song, German sheet music postcard, 1916 Feldpost, Imperial German Army, Bavarian infantry, German soldier mail, Feldpostkarte, German military postal history, WWI regiment postcard, Bavaria militaria, Great War Germany, Dortmund Feldpost, Helene von Besnard, Georg Liebling, wartime charity postcard, soldier family benefit postcard.

Items are sold as shown and as-is. Please review all photographs carefully. We combine shipping on multiple purchases and ship every day, including Saturdays.

YB3 series