Big Photo Wenzl White Vienna ~ 1915: Soldier Fritz Edlinger (1885-1915) From

You are bidding on one big photo around 1915 out of Vienna.

Motive:Fritz Edlinger (1885-1915) as a soldier.

Photographer:Court photographer W. Weis, Vienna III, Hauptstr. 67, Tue Wenzl Weis (1858-1929).

Format:cardboard 31 x 20.5 cm; Photo 22.5 x 16.7 cm.

Mounted on the back printed obituary from a newspaper; with handwritten note: "Fritz Edlinger, Vienna, + Summer 1915 near Gorlice."

Fritz Edlinger (1885-1915), Son of the Innsbruck publishing house bookseller Anton Edlinger, leader of the German-free student body and the Academic Alpine Club in Innsbruck, died on January 11th. May 1915 in Galicia as kk first lieutenant in the reserve and commander of the 9th Company of the 1st Tyrolean Kaiserjäger Regiment. He was a friend of the writer Karl Röck (1883-1954), the poet, lawyer and philosopher Ludwig Seifert (1883-1917) and the journalist Ernst Molden (1886-1953), whose cousin he was.

Condition:Photo slightly stained and damaged, the cardboard backing has tears at the edges.Please also note the pictures!

Internal note: KRST 23-12-27 Military Militaria

About the photographer (source: wikipedia) and Fritz Edlinger (source: translation of a Polish article in the forum "Austro-Węgry"):

Wenzl Weis (*28. November 1858 in Tachov; † 14. December 1929 in Vienna) was an Austrian photographer and association official.

Life: Wenzl Weis's parents were the blacksmith Josef Weis and his wife Eleonora Weis. From 1872 onwards he trained as a photographer with Ernst Plant in Marienbad and then worked in photo studios in Innsbruck, Graz and Vienna. In 1888 he attended courses at the teaching and research institute for photography and reproduction processes in Vienna. In 1898 he took over the Margit studio in Vienna and specialized in portrait photos. In 1900 Weis was appointed court photographer to Archduke Karl Stefan.

Weis was one of the co-founders of the Association of Photographic Employees in 1882, of which he became chairman in 1891. He was also a member of the Photographic Society and the Austrian Photographers' Association, of which he became chairman. From 1904 to 1911 he was the editor in charge of the “Österreichische Photographen-Zeitung” and from 1911 to 1919 of the specialist journal “Der Bund. Monthly magazine for the interests of Austrian professional photographers”.

Weis was particularly committed to improving the working conditions of professional photographers.

Honors

1929: Gold Medal of Honor of the Republic of Austria

A few words about the lieutenant Friedrich (Fritz) Edlinger, who fell on the Vistula. He was born in Innsbruck in 1885 and was the only son of Anton (+1919) and Emilia née. Ganner (+1933). His mother was the daughter of a doctor practicing in Hall in Tyrol. His father came from Salzburg and in his youth he was a journalist in Vienna. In 1877-1879 he edited and edited the magazine Literaturblatt, devoted exclusively to literary subjects, which, it was emphasized, was the reason for its decline in a world in which capital in the field of culture flowed voluntarily only to women Singers and dancers. Anton Edlinger later took over the printing company and newspaper “Innsbrucker Tagblatt” in Innsbruck, which he soon published under the title “Tiroler Tagblatt”, thereby changing his profile from liberal to national-German. He also published travel guides and other materials that made the tourist attractions of Tyrol and the entire Alpine region known. Among other things, he updated the popular guides by Theodor Trautwein, one of the founders of the Alpine Club. In the last years of his life he moved his work back to Vienna.

The home atmosphere probably influenced his son's literary, mountain and political interests.

In his diary, which contains notes about Fritz Edlinger in the years 1900–1908, the writer Karl Röck (1883-1954) mentions the youthful interests of his friend, who was two years his junior - philosophical and literary - as well as his attempts at poetry and writing. The third person in this circle of friends was the later poet, lawyer and philosopher (twice doctorate) Ludwig Seifert (1883-1917). They also knew (and admired) Ludwig Ficker von Feldhaus (1880-1967), a writer and publisher several years older than him.

The posthumous memoirs emphasized Fritz Edlinger's oratorical skills. Karl Röck also writes about it.

Fritz Edlinger was a mountaineer, a member of the Academic Alpine Club Innsbruck and a member of the authorities of this club for several semesters. He was also involved in the Alpine Club's voluntary rescue service, trained skiers and was known for his snowshoe hikes.

He was also involved in his father's tourism and publishing activities. In 1913 the 18th Edition of Theodor Trautwein's guide Tirol and Vorarlberg: Bayr advertised. Highlands, Allgäu, Salzburg, Upper and Lower Austria, Styria, Carinthia and Carniola. Guide for travelers, created by Anton Edlinger and Heinrich Hess, carefully checked by Dr. Fritz Edlinger with the support of other Alpine club members and individual alpinists.

During his studies he took an active part in the German national movement. A May 1915 press release stated directly that the German community of Austria had lost a man who would be one of its political leaders in better, future times.

In the fall of 1909 he received his doctorate in law from the Leopold Franzens University in Innsbruck. After graduating, he became a trainee lawyer (attorney at law) in Vienna.

He was a reserve officer in the 1st Tyrolean Imperial Rifle Regiment – ​​from 1. January 1905 cadet, four years later ensign and on 1. January 1910 lieutenant. As part of the promotions in May 1915 he received the rank of lieutenant, which was reported in the press on May 5th. May, less than a week before his death, reported.

According to press information, Fritz Edlinger took part in the war from the beginning and served, among other things, in the 3rd. Company of the 1st Tyrolean Reich Rifle Regiment. in the fighting on the Huczwa River (Battle of Komarow) and then in heavy rearguard action in September 1914, which was later recognized with the bronze Signum Laudis medal with war decoration, as reported in the press in March 1915.

In one of the newspapers dated 23rd September 1914 you will find information about the 2nd Lieutenant Reserve Fritz Edlinger is being treated in a sanatorium in Gmunden. Another officer from his regiment, the aforementioned Anton von Call, was also present at this time.

The news about Fritz Edlinger's injury was recorded in the “Loss List” No. 29 of 17. Published October 1914.

On the 24th He returned to duty in Innsbruck in October and to the front at the end of January.

Further information can be found in Ernst Wisshaupt's book. 6. March battalion led by Captain. On 20. In January 1915, Peter Altenburger reached Biadolin, where the Tyrolean regiment was quartered. Back then, from the 17th January, the soldiers rested - poor quarters, sporadic and inaccurate enemy artillery fire, thaw, all-round mud, daily exercises on the square in Perle, and for the first time the use of hand grenades. On the 24th On January 1, the regiment was sent back to the trenches near Wojnicz - two soldiers from the regiment with the death date of January 2nd. February 1914 are buried in a small cemetery on the Dunajec Dam in Łukanowice called “216”. Sierakowice.

Fritz Edlinger then became commander of the ski unit, for which, as an experienced skier, he was an excellent candidate. It lasted only a short time as the thaw did not allow this type of activity.

It can also be added that the regiment, prepared for battle in the mountains, was stuck for a long time in trenches on the plain in the lower reaches of the Dunajec River. Ski troops were important in the nearby Carpathians. The commander of one of them was Captain Ferdinand von Galen, who was killed during a patrol in Banica.

After a short stay in the 9th Company he became commander of the 2nd Company, which he led in the following weeks of fighting, the most important of which was the attack in Sękowa on the 8th. March 1915, led bravely.

This does not agree with the map published by Karl Raschin (p.133) (situation on 8. March 1915) - according to this, this company was commanded by Hauptmann. Bar. Adolf von Gudenus. It advanced through the valley on both sides of the Sękówka River. At this time, only one company of the regiment was commanded by an officer with the rank of lieutenant.

He was awarded the Military Merit Cross, which, it was emphasized, is a great honor for a reserve lieutenant.

His death on the battlefield probably also influenced the imperial decision of January 9th. July 1915, posthumously awarded the Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with war decorations to give. In addition to Fritz Edlinger, other officers who died in the May battles were also honored - Captain. Ignaz Duhan from 57. Tarnów Infantry Regiment (buried in Biecz in cemetery No. 105), Captain Robert Zipser and 2. Lt. Luigi Defrancesco – both from 2. Tyrolean Imperial Rifle Regiment, buried near the ramparts in Lichwin, cemetery no. 186.

Shortly after the fighting in Sękowa he was already commander of the 9th. Company. It is believed he fought at Rotunda and the Goat Rib Range.

According to the press, his company stopped on the 3rd. May stood under Russian fire from the wing for 17 hours and covered other retreating units. Even if this is not immediately clear from Ernst Wisshaupt's rather detailed description, the regiment's battles, especially in the area of ​​"Jägerhaus 402", i.e. the hunter's house at the pass in Lubinka, were exceptionally long and fierce. On 2. In May the sergeant Dr. Hans Sild was particularly special, for which he received the gold medal for bravery - on this day his 9. Company under the command of Fritz Edlinger, the 3rd Tyrolean regiment in the “Hufeisen” position (today). Cemetery No. 192). At 3. On May 1, one of this company's platoons was literally wiped out, and since the severely weakened 11th Company lost all of its officers, they were merged. Eight days later, Fritz Edlinger died as a lieutenant in the reserve on the Vistula River.

The newspapers generally documented this with a dry report about the death of an officer on the Northern Front on the 11th. May 1915, sometimes supplemented by information about the approximate location - east of Tarnów, near Dębica or generally - near Gorlice, which was the most frequently mentioned Galician city at that time.

You can also find information that he died as a result of a shot in the head at the head of his company - "attack" or "victorious attack".

Karl Röck wrote on the 18th. May 1915 in his diary: “My childhood friend Fritz Edlinger died: shot in the forehead.”

This message was probably written by Dr. Rudolf Ficker and Dr. Paul Mayr reported that those who were wounded in these battles had reached Innsbruck the day before.

At 19. Obituaries and a longer remembrance were published in the local press in May.

However, the official news of Fritz Edlinger's death only appeared on the 26th. July 1915 – on the “loss list” No. 220. Ensign Dr. was also there. Paul Mayr listed as a wounded cadet. In my opinion, this is the officer who is ranked 2nd on the memorial plaque in Wola Ociecka. Lieutenant is mentioned. Paul Myer, but there is a simple typo in the name and the military rank is incorrect.