Cigarette holder Verdun

For the soldiers, the extreme experiences of the First World War were the most drastic experience of their lives (and usually the rest of their lives). They often preserved their memories of battles, places or comrades in objects they had collected or made. Many took the talismans they had made at the front home with them as mementos. Others made objects after the war to help them come to terms with their experiences.

The positional war offered special conditions for this type of manual activity: The alternation of extreme feelings such as fear of death with long periods of waiting and boredom encouraged the soldiers’ need for creative, manual activity. The destructiveness of war was countered by a creative act, however small it might be. Soldiers in the trenches made small works of art and everyday objects from the abundant scraps of material available, such as wood, leather or stone. In the frontline trenches, this had to be done as quietly as possible so as not to attract the attention of the enemy, which is why small carved or scratched objects were usually created here.

Today, the objects are referred to as “trench art”, although only a small proportion were produced in the trenches themselves. Many were created in military hospitals and rear areas. Talented soldiers often produced a range of souvenirs for their comrades. This resulted in utilitarian and decorative items such as cigarette boxes and cigarette holders, candlesticks, vases and jewelry.

This cigarette holder was probably made in 1918 as a memento of the owner’s service at Verdun. The carved piece of wood shows the lettering “Verdun” and the dates “1914-1918” as well as decorations such as flowers, a stag’s head and probably the profile of a human head. Personal mementos such as this one often feature symbols that refer to specific experiences and memories of the wearer. The owner of the cigarette holder gave it to a comrade in the military hospital who had never been to Verdun himself. He kept it until his death, perhaps in memory of this friendship forged in the military hospital, and his family gave it to us in the museum last year.

Object of the month

(short) stories from the depot

Unfortunately, many objects cannot currently be shown in the exhibition for conservation reasons. Here you will find unusual objects and exciting stories of special pieces from the depot