The Kujawsko-Pomorska Digital Library
A new source for German books
After the Second World War, the Nicholas Copernicus University acquired a collection of books that, once upon a time, had belonged to the Second Military Region (Bezirk des II. Armee Korps) of the Kingdom of Prussia. Recently, a project to digitize older works (the Kujawsko-Pomorska Digital Library) has put some of these works on line.
In the course of browsing the catalog of the Kujawsko-Pomorska Digital Library, I discovered several books on subjects that might be of interest to readers of The Tactical Notebook.
an account of the Second Military Region (Bezirk des II. Armee Korps)
a history of the service of the 34th (Pomeranian) Fusilier Regiment in the First World War (1931)
a history of the first fifty years of the 33rd (East Prussian) Fusilier Regiment (1865)
a history of the 1st (East Prussian) Jäger Battalion (1882)
I also found a memoir of peacetime service in a German infantry regiment. Published in Warsaw (which was then part of the Russian Empire) in 1905, this account reminds me of The Good Soldier Å vejk.
Most of the books I found on the Kujawsko-Pomorska Digital Library were formatted as high-quality PDF files, complete with maps and fold-outs. Alas, some can only be downloaded as collections of Deja Vu images.
My wife and I went to Poland last year, it was early Dec and all the Christmas Markets were open. The purpose of the trip was more than just vacation. My wife's Great Grandmother and Grandmother came from a small village in what was. then Prussia. I went thru the postcards they sent, they were dated 1903 thru 1908. Using the postmarks and photographs, i was able to triangulate where the village was located. This was a bit challenging becasue, there were several villages with the same name - Schonsee. In order to get this village we had to pass thru Torun and the University where this digital project comes from. Torun is a fabulous city and the Christmas Market is one of the best.The one in Gdansk was glamorous and Old Town Warsaw Quaint For me the highlight of the trip was a day and night at Czar Nicholas' Hunting lodge located in the National Forest at Byialstock. This link tells the story. The lodge we stayed at is the one that has the green door and trim. We actually spent the night in the Czars renovated sleeping car. i think we were less than 5 kms from Ukraine. If you have not been to Poland, put it on your bucket list. https://travelfeed.com/@astinmin/the-charm-of-a-bygone-era-when-the-tsar-was-a-god