Deathcards of civilian casualties from Dordrecht

During the war, many soldiers died as it progressed. To commemorate these soldiers, so-called deathcards or in German, “sterbebilder” were often printed. Both on the Dutch side, shortly after May 1940, and on the German side, these deathcards were used. Civilian casualties were also often depicted on a deathcard.

The deathcards often included the name of the respective soldier, the date and place of death, and sometimes the cause of death. It was not uncommon for the rank and any military medals of the soldier to be mentioned, as well as the final resting place. For German soldiers, the final resting place was often the same as the place of death. Meanwhile, Dutch soldiers were often buried in their hometowns.

*24 Source: https://collections.arolsen-archives.org/GommairvanEijsden en https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/GommairvanEijsden *25 Source: www.vrijheid.scouting.nl - Gerard Steen