This photograph depicts Unteroffizier (Non-Commissioned Officer) Peter Hinrichsen of the Infantry Regiment Lübeck (3rd Hanseatic) No. 162 and was taken in 1915 at a photo studio in Ghent (Gand), Belgium. The image documents not only the personal fate of a soldier but also embodies the complex history of the Hanseatic regiments during the First World War.

The Infantry Regiment No. 162 was established only during the mobilization of 1914 and belonged to the IX Reserve Division. With home garrisons in Lübeck and Eutin, the regiment recruited from the population of the Hanseatic cities and the surrounding Holstein region. As part of the Prussian Army, yet with a pronounced regional identity, the regiment carried forward Hanseatic traditions in its designations and self-perception.

The creation of this photograph in Ghent in 1915 provides important clues about the course of the war. After the German invasion of Belgium in August 1914, the city of Ghent became part of the German General Government of Belgium. During the occupation, services for German soldiers, including photo studios, were established, playing an important role in maintaining connections with home. Soldier photographs were cherished mementos and were frequently sent to family members.

The rank of Unteroffizier was of central importance to the Imperial Army. Non-commissioned officers formed the backbone of the military hierarchy and served as the link between the enlisted men and the officers. They were responsible for discipline, training, and leading small units in combat. The position required not only military skill but also leadership qualities and reliability.

Photographic practice during the First World War experienced unprecedented proliferation. While professional photographers in studios were primarily active at the beginning of the war, extensive visual documentation developed throughout the conflict. Soldier portraits followed certain conventions: uniforms were correctly worn, posture was upright and dignified, and decorations and rank insignia were often prominently displayed.

The 3rd Hanseatic Infantry Regiment No. 162 was deployed to various theaters of war. After mobilization, the regiment participated in fighting in Belgium and France. The presence in Ghent in 1915 suggests a phase when parts of the regiment were possibly stationed in Belgium in occupation duties or during regrouping. The Western Front was characterized by grueling trench warfare that demanded enormous casualties.

Photographs like this served multiple functions. They served personal memory but were also part of military self-representation and maintaining morale. For families at home, such portraits were often the only visual testimony of their relatives in the field. After the war, they gained additional emotional significance as mementos of fallen or returned soldiers.

The preservation of such photographs in good condition (noted here as “Condition 2”) is remarkable. Many soldier photographs were lost through the turmoil of war, the post-war period, and later conflicts. Surviving examples are important sources for military historical research and genealogy. They provide insights into uniforms, rank insignia, and the visual culture of the Imperial Army.

The format of approximately 10.7 x 16.3 cm corresponds to the standard sizes for studio portraits of that time, often referred to as cabinet format or similar formats. This size was practical for mailing and storage in family albums.

Today, such photographs are valuable historical documents. They personalize the abstract history of the First World War and remind us of the individual fates behind the millions of soldiers. For descendants, collectors, and historians, they offer irreplaceable insights into an era that fundamentally changed European history.