August 2014 will be the centenary of the outbreak of World War I, and a number of institutions and historical societies in our region of Germany are marking the occasion with local activities reflecting the effects of the conflict upon our community. What did our forefathers experience in the fighting line, how did those experiences change their attitudes and views from what they had been when the war first commenced, and what prospects did those crippled through wounds face when they returned home from the war? This project will examine these questions from the perspective of the men of Reserve Infantry Regiment No.68. As no official Regimental History of R.I.R.68 in WWI was published post-war this project will rely for its sources on contemporary original personal papers of its soldiers such as their personal correspondence, diaries - such as those belonging to Joseph Lingens, a soldier from the Oberzier district whose papers are in the possession of Andreas Kitz, a member of the Niederzier Historical Society - supplemented with contemporary newspaper reports and original official military documents. As the project develops this website will be updated with the results.

"Man must put an ent to war before war puts an end to man".

J. F. Kenneday

If you are interested in the history of Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 68 and would like to become involved with this research project please contact me, Andreas, here .

Do you have any information on R.I.R. No. 68, maybe you are a descendant of the '68igers' or men from the other units of the 16th (Reserve) Division, or VIII. Corps and are in possession of photos, postcards, letters, military documentation from this period? If so and you are willing to make the information available in support of this project please contact me - Andreas - via this (contact form), and I'll come back to you as soon as I can.

Special thanks on Ajax Bardrick!!!