GERMAN WWII DEATH CARD FOR PANZERGRENADIER REGMT (Schützen) GEFREITER OTTO RUFFINGER

WWII German death card Panzergrenadier Regiment (Schützen Regiment) Gefreiter OTTO RUFFINGER.  He died on September 7, 1944 at the age of 42.  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.