09/01/2026
Tucked away in a small case in the World War One section of the museum’s displays is a brass circular flask captured from a German soldier. Painted on a red leather insert on the front of the flask is the legend “Du Werst mein Trost in truben Stunde, das hab ich als Soldat empfunden”, which can be loosely translated as “You are my comfort in the dark hours that I feel as a soldier.” The silver cap is surmounted by a black Prussian eagle figure and there is a tri-colored suspension cord attached. One can imagine the owner taking a sip of schnaps or French wine to soothe his nerves before going into battle or passing the flask to his comrades sheltering in a dugout during an artillery bombardment. This is a typical example of the kind of personal items that many soldiers carry with them to make their service a bit more comfortable.
