The German Imperial Army in the World War - Structure and Organization - Military Chaplains

Even in peacetime religious care was provided.

In 1914 the Imperial Army included, among Protestant clergy: 1 field provost, 21 senior military chaplains, 101 military chaplains and 98 sacristans; among Catholic clergy: 1 field provost, 9 senior military chaplains, 60 military chaplains and 54 sacristans.

The military chaplains held the status of military officials.

In addition, there were 30 Jewish field rabbis in 1914.

The aforementioned military chaplains were subsequently supplemented by volunteer clergy so that all divisions could be appropriately staffed.

In 1915 there were approximately 1,600 soldiers per clergyman.

By 1918 there were about 3,500 field chaplains in the German army, including the aforementioned field rabbis serving on a voluntary basis.

Even during the First World War religion remained an important moral factor on both sides; however, the stark contrast between Christian values and the everyday life at the front could also give rise to serious conflicts of conscience.

In 1913 field-gray clothing was introduced for military chaplains in Prussia, Württemberg, Saxony and finally in Bavaria.

Typical for them was the round felt hat with the brim turned up on the right and the field-gray overcoat. The hat was adorned with a violet hatband.

A field-gray cap was also worn, resembling the usual officers' cap. Here too the trim was violet. The cap displayed, alongside the imperial cockade, a white cross made of enamel.

Both Protestant and Catholic military chaplains wore an official cross, which was designed differently for the two denominations.

The Protestant field pectoral was entirely silvered; the Catholic one was black with a silver border and an applied corpus.

The Catholic clergy also donned a violet stole on certain occasions.

In 1915 a new field uniform was introduced; this also brought minor changes for the military chaplains. In 1915 the field cap received a field-gray visor.

Field services and burials were part of the soldier's everyday life. This applied to all denominations, including Jewish soldiers.

Military chaplains also served in military hospitals and cared for prisoners of war. They administered the sacraments and provided comfort to the dying, wounded, or sick.

In this respect they had a humanitarian and social function.

There is no denying the tension between the religious mission and the contemporaneous war enthusiasm or patriotism. Preserved sermons bear witness to this. Ultimately, military chaplains held officer rank and were integrated into the military hierarchy. With regard to troop morale they had a decidedly stabilizing effect.

The different denominations inevitably cooperated in view of the drama of the war.

However, field services ordered by troop command were generally held separately by denomination. Field services also necessarily often took place outdoors.