Infantry Regiment No. 121 and XIII Army Corps @museum.de

F: At this stop, we’d like to introduce you to an old established regiment: the Infantry Regiment No. 121, known as Alt-Württemberg.

M: It was raised in 1716 under Duke Eberhard Ludwig, which makes it one of the oldest of Württemberg’s infantry regiments. For decades, the regiment was stationed at Ludwigsburg garrison. The photograph shows the infantrymen on Arsenalplatz – Arsenal Square. That was an open square in the middle of town, where anyone passing by could watch the soldiers practising their drills.

F: The Alt Württemberg regiment fought for Napoleon at first, and then against him. It was driven into the ground, wiped out, and reconstituted several times. During the First World War, it fought in the battles on the Somme, in Flanders and Italy. In 1904, parts of the regiment were involved in suppressing the Herero Revolt in the colony of German Southwest Africa.

M: One of the items on show in the display case is an epaulette with the regimental number 121, and a medal bar. The brightly polished spiked helmet bears the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg. The soldiers had to pay for any supplies for personal use. That included saddle soap, for instance, or having their equipment cleaned. In 1902, an ordinary infantryman was paid 6 marks sixty a month.

F: The dark blue double-breasted tunic in the next showcase was part of the uniform of the Train Battalion Number 13. The train battalion was responsible for military logistics and transport. Its members transported ammunition, for instance, medical supplies and food rations.

M: Next to it is a tunic of the 65th Artillery Regiment. There was a long tradition of artillery in Ludwigsburg. The first soldiers stationed at the garrison were from that branch of the armed forces. Take a look at the epaulettes. Can you identify the symbol? It’s an exploding shell, the emblem of the artillery.