Herbert Robisch
Country: Austria
Authors: Franz Breitwieser , HerbertRobisch
Title in the original language: Die Auskunftsbureaus des Roten Kreuzes 1914-1918
Title translated into English: The Red Cross Enquiry Bureaux, 1914-1918
Publisher: Mödling, ARGE Feldpost Österreich-Ungarn
Year of publication: 2058
Number of pages: 72
Price: 45 € + postage
Main language: German
Short Description: As early as the end of the 19th century, the Austrian Red Cross or the Hungarian Red Cross was tasked with organising communication on with the public regarding wounded or missing soldiers in the event of war. Two days before the start of the World War, the responsible Ministry of Trade ordered the establishment of a post office within the ‘Auskunftsbureau’ (Information Bureau). All enquiries had to be stamped. All replies were postage-free. For this purpose, the Informa on Bureau printed and sold appropriate enquiry and reply cards. Information from a wide variety of sources was gathered and compiled into a register so that all enquiries could be answered appropriately. The demand was enormous! In the final months of the war, the Red Cross Auskunftsbureau in Vienna alone received around 600,000 enquiries per month from the public. The book aims to provide an overview of the organisation of the Auskunftsbureau and a systematic catalogue of the various sources, including both official and privately published works. After the end of the First World War, the Auskunftsbureau was dissolved. However, even after its dissolution, the collected information proved useful. For example, it was used to provide information for pending declarations of death of missing soldiers or for the assessment of disability pensions.
Where to order: The text can be downloaded free of charge from www.arge-feldpost-oesterreich.at. However, the English text contains only very small scans (thumbnails). The original book: Karl Reiter-Haas, Neudorf-Auweg 3, A-8410 Wildon, karl.reiter-haas@aon.at , +43-664 4286714