The Stern family lived in Alsberg, Nordrhein Westfalen, Germany. Emma Stern and Robert Stern had three children, Johanna, Hedwig and Rudolf (born 1891). Emma and Johanna died before the First World War broke out. This left Rudolf with his father and sister when the war started. Rudolf had already completed 1 year’s military service when war broke out. On August 3, 1914 Rudolf wrote his first letter to his father and sister and left it with his neighbours, presumably when he left home for the war. During the summer of 1914 he was stationed in different places in nowadays France. He was killed on 20 September 1914, just 5 weeks after the war had broken out. His last letter was written from German Lotharingen on 15 September, 1914. Fritz Bernstein a nephew of Robert Stern was also killed in action early on in the war.
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Chronological by correspondent
Stern family correspondence including letters from Rudolf Stern from the front during World War I to his father, Robert and sister, Hedwig (1911/1); letters from Fritz Bernstein to Robert and Hedwig Stern (1911/2); translations of this correspondence (1911/3)
Stern family: First World War letters from the front