Death note

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Death note from the Rhineland, 1885

Death notes are simple or folded notes with the most important life data of a deceased, which are usually distributed to the mourning guests as part of the requiem . The custom was widespread throughout Catholic Europe in the 19th century and is still practiced regionally. In some areas, for which designations are dead image (chen), dead letter, Sterbebild (chen) and death list, sadness image (chen) and mourning list, corpse list, grave note, suffering image or Leidbildchen use, in Austria they are also business lines or death notices called in parts of Switzerland Leidhelgeli .

In a broader sense, death notes also include death messages that were previously distributed or sent in the town. In terms of their purpose and presentation, they were similar to those that are still used today to announce the death of a person, to solicit prayer for the deceased and his family and to invite people to a church funeral . They are a very informative source for genealogy and are therefore sometimes reproduced by genealogists in printed or electronic form.

Historical review

The oldest surviving death note was printed in Cologne in 1663 for Catharina Balchem, who died there on June 23, 1663. Dutch sources give the year 1668 as the earliest verifiable date of the Bidprentjes; The oldest Würzburg death note dates from 1672. Death notes are particularly popular in the Netherlands, such as the extensive collections in Nijmegen (Albertinum) and Amsterdam (Amstelkring Museum) with 300,000 copies each, as well as those of the Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie in The Hague show with over a million copies. The content and scope have adapted to the habits of the time. At the end of the 17th century and especially in the 18th century, the life of the deceased was summarized on many death slips, important events were noted and the spiritual character of the life course was praised. In addition, comforting quotes from biblical or other sources could be printed, sometimes in Latin as well as in the German translation.

In the 19th century the custom spread throughout Catholic Europe and reached Bavaria in 1840. Until 1860, common saints or devotional pictures, occasionally those with a punched lace edge, were printed on the back with the name and other information about the deceased. Only then did the production of special death pictures with black, but often also silver, mourning border begin.

The small-size memorial card are in general two or four sides and in paper format DIN A6 or A7 printed, the larger reach A4 or even the format of a small poster. A picture of the deceased is usually printed on the first page.

The closer you get to the 20th century, the more the content of the death notes is reduced to a few dates of the deceased's life and the more simplified the picture decoration. Sometimes there is only the edge of mourning. The wish for the deceased to receive eternal rest and the request to the bereaved for a prayer for the deceased are an indispensable part of the death note in many areas, while elsewhere the text largely corresponds to that of an obituary notice in the newspaper. Lately there have also been death notes with freely designed texts, e.g. B. Quotations from literature, songs or the like that relate to the deceased person and were sometimes selected by them during their lifetime.

The request for prayer was also taken as an opportunity to put the death slip in a prayer or hymn book, so death notes or death pictures are often found between the pages of prayer and hymn books. Some death notes are kept in the form of a collection.

Pictorial design

Death picture of a young girl from 1887

The main theme of the death pictures used to be the passion of Christ. Representations of the fear of death on the Mount of Olives , across the Way of the Cross and the death on the cross until the Resurrection were the rule. Often depicted in this area is Mary as Our Lady of Sorrows . There were also pictures showing the Holy Family in their daily work.

Guardian angel images or depictions of Mary or Jesus Christ played a major role, especially with deceased children . Images of the miraculous figures of Mary or saints from well-known pilgrimage sites in Bavaria, such as the "black Madonna" in the Chapel of Grace in Altötting, were often chosen . Resurrection miracles were also depicted.

From around 1885 until the end of the First World War, the iconographic motifs were most diverse. There was an almost unmanageable abundance of symbolic and allegorical representations with grave candles, memorial stones, urns and pillars as well as still lifes made of crosses, tools of suffering , anchors , chalices , hearts, etc.

From around 1875, the text pages of the death pictures were provided with original photographs in many places. The photos had to be cut out by hand and glued on. The custom of depicting the deceased himself spread from 1885. This custom was very reluctant to gain a foothold in Bavaria. Only the death pictures of notables or other high-ranking personalities show here and there a photo of the deceased. It was not until the fallen pictures of the First World War that a photo became common in Bavaria.

Today you can sometimes find death notes with non-religious representations, e.g. B. Photos of autumn landscapes or trees are used.

Textual design

Death note with details of cause of death and personality, 1866
Death note from 1913 with a prayer of indulgence

In addition to the pictorial representation on the front, the selected text on the back of the death picture was always of great importance. Between 1860 and 1950 the death pictures were very eloquent. The viewer learns about the family and social status of "respected" men and women and whether they were married, widowed or divorced as "virtuous youths or virgins".

In agriculture, court and field names played an important role. It was precisely recorded whether the deceased was e.g. B. Farmer's wife, discharge mother (Bavarian, see moving house ), farmer's son or the "Huberbauer" was.

Long or short suffering were also mentioned. In the case of accidents, the nature of the accident is also specified, even death "by the hand of a murderer" can be read. The exact age of the deceased and the reception of the sacraments are also carefully stated. In the past, merits in military service and war awards, merits in public offices and the most important secular or spiritual orders and decorations as well as memberships in a third order were noted . The job title was also considered indispensable until the 1950s. Other important information on the death slip is the birth name, place of birth and place of death.

Often the death pictures were provided with sayings - mostly prayer texts, quotations from the Bible - or the church fathers . The Latin Requiescat is often found in pace , often also abbreviated to “RIP”, on the front or back of the death image. Sometimes indulgence conditions were also given on the death slip .

Printing process

Technically, the death pictures were executed in steel engraving or lithography from around 1860 to 1890 . From 1880 onwards, chromolithography was increasingly used . After the First World War, gravure printing was started. Several printers were often involved in the production of elaborate images, with one company printing the elaborate images and then printing these forms with the text, usually in lead type, by another printer . As a result, the death notes could be produced quickly and in factories that were technically only simply equipped. Compilations of death slips from one place often show that certain print shops used the same images over a long period of time.

See also

literature

  • Alois Lederer: Death pictures in Bavaria have been reminding of the deceased since 1840. In: Labertaler Igeleien. Reading journal of the ArGe Nahercovery Mittleres Labertal. Edition November 2004, online .
  • Josef Wißkirchen: Cologne death note from 1663 in the parish archive of St. Ulrich in Frechen-Buschbell. In: Yearbook of the Frechener Geschichtsverein 2/2006, pp. 125-134.

Web links

Commons : Death Note  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ For example: Felix Aschwanden, Walter Clauss : Urner Dialect Dictionary , Altdorf 1982, ISBN 3-905160-00-5 , p. 271; Karl Imfeld : Obwalden dialect dictionary, Kriens 2000, ISBN 3-905198-55-X , p. 224.
  2. ↑ Rhein-Erft collection of death notes , No. 7367