With grateful thanks to my friend Timo Gälzer for finding Gerhard’s resting place and to Timo and to my friend Dani Stöpselfor their help in translating the poem included here
Born Gerhard Klaus Müller-Rastatt, he used the pen-name Gerhard Moerner. Gerhard was killed on 15th April 1917 and was buried in Vladslo Cemetery, Block 3 Grave 2587
Albert Ehrenstein dedicated his poem "War Country" to Gerhard.
Here is a poem by Gerhard:
"Nacht im Schützengraben"
Tief will sich der Himmel neigen,
Schwer von seiner Sternenlast.
Runde Leuchtraketen steigen
Auf zu seinem Blaudamast.
Rückwärts ist mein Kopf geglitten
Auf den Sand der Schulterwehr
Und mir ist, als wär ich mitten
In dem weißen Silbermeer.
Schüsse fallen, Rufe kommen,
Meine Hand kühlt kühlen Wind,
Und ich weiß kaum, traumbenommen,
Noch, was Stern, was Augen sind.
aus: „Aus dem Felde“. Gedichte. Kugelverlag, Hamburg 1917.
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| German troops in a trench WW1 |
“A Night in the Trenches”
The sky wants to bend low,
Heavy with the burden of the stars
Round flares rise up
Onto the sky’s damask blue.
My head slips back
Onto the sand of the trench parapet
And I feel as if I'm in the middle
Of the silvery-white sea.
Shots are fired, shouts are heard,
My hand cools in the chill wind,
And I hardly know, I feel so dreamy,
Neither what stars, nor what eyes are.
from: "From the Field" - poems. Kugelverlag, Hamburg, 1917.
