German Death Card · primary-source record
Josef Räth
4 October 1884 – 1 December 1916
Died 1 December 1916 · fell on the field of honour
Editorially verified
At-a-glance facts
Record type
German Death Card
Date of death
1 December 1916
Date of birth
4 October 1884
Age at death
32 years, 1 month, 27 days
Place of death
auf dem Felde der Ehre (on the field of honour)
The german death card
From the funeral card
Fern von seinen Lieben
starb den Heldentod fürs Vaterland
der tapfere Krieger Jüngling
Josef Räth,
Schuhmacher,
Soldat im 1. bayer. Res.-Jäger-Batl.,
4. Kompagnie.
Geboren den 4. Oktober 1884
in Dirlewang.
Gefallen den 1. Dezember 1916
auf dem Felde der Ehre.
Wenn auch in Schmerzen uns're Tränen rinnen
Ist unser Leid unendlich, riesenhaft,
Daß dich der Herr jetzt heimberief von hinnen,
In deiner aufgeblühten Jugendkraft,
Erfüllt uns doch ein Stolz für alle Zeiten,
Daß du als Held im heil'gen Kampfe starbst
Und dir den Dank nach ausgestand'nen Leiden
Des heimgesuchten Vaterlands erwarbst.
O mög dein Vorbild, das du uns gegeben,
Als stete Leuchte segnend uns umschweben!
Druck von Alois Fackler in Mindelheim.
Contributor's notes & card translation
Josef Rath was a soldier at the 1. Bavarian reserve hunter battalion 4. company.
English translation of the card text: Far from his loved ones, the brave young warrior Josef Räth, shoemaker, soldier in the 1st Bavarian Reserve Jäger Battalion, 4th Company, died a hero's death for the Fatherland. Born 4 October 1884 in Dirlewang. Fell 1 December 1916 on the field of honour. Even as our tears flow in pain and our sorrow is endless, immense, that the Lord has now called you home from here in your blossoming youthful strength, we are nonetheless filled with a pride for all time that you died as a hero in the holy struggle and, after sufferings endured, earned the thanks of the afflicted Fatherland. O may the example you have given us hover about us as a constant light, blessing us! Printed by Alois Fackler in Mindelheim. These small prayer cards (Sterbebilder) were given to family and friends in the Roman Catholic tradition.
Record submitted by
From the Ancestors at Rest archive
Source & citation
- Source type
- Photograph & transcription
- Provenance
- From the Ancestors at Rest archive — founded 2004 by Brian and substantially built out across two decades by Lorine McGinnis Schulze of Olive Tree Genealogy.
- Transcribed by
- Ancestors at Rest archive — original contributor not recorded.
- Last verified
- 2026-07-04
- Permalink
- /records/funeral-cards/rath-josef-1916/
- Image vs transcription
- Both — photograph of the card and a transcription of its German text on this page
Citation: "German death card (Sterbebild) of Josef Räth, 1. bayer. Res.-Jäger-Batl., 4. Kompagnie, fell 1 December 1916 at auf dem Felde der Ehre (on the field of honour)," photographed and contributed to the Ancestors at Rest archive (https://ancestorsatrest.com/records/funeral-cards/rath-josef-1916/ : accessed [your access date]).
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