GERMAN DEATH CARD FOR GEFREITER INFANTRY REGIMENT SOLDIER LUDWIG HEINKELMANN

WWII German death card for Gefreiter Infantry Regiment soldier LUDWIG HEINKELMANN born February 9, 1920 and died in battle at the age of 22 on April 12, 1942.  Card measures about 4.5" x 5.0" unfolded.  It is a double sided, double page card.

Military death cards are notices of the death of a WW2 German  soldier who was killed during the war. Known also as “Sterbebilder”. 

Death notices were a common European Catholic custom, normally given or mailed to mourners, family, and friends as death notifications also encouraging mourners to remember the deceased in prayer.  These cards were usually 1 or 2 small pages, either single or folded and printed on both back and front.  These pages would usually have a photograph of the deceased along with his important life information.  Some did not include a photo and many included a religious icon or poem.
In contrast to other death cards the German government would not allow the printing of any WWII soldier’s unit information or a  graphic cause of death.