Alan McGowan: Part 1 of 2
Further to discussions about Paul and Hugo Bodenstein (thanks to all who contributed), I have been looking through the following sources: 1) Germany & Austria, Directories of Military and Marine Officers, 1600-191 and 2) Germany, Military and Marine Weekly Publications, 1816-1942.
It is usual for only the family name and rank to be given, except in special cases. A search for Hugo Bodenstein gave 0 results. A search for Paul Bodenstein gave 1 result.
This was a special case: two officers with the same name and rank serving in the same unit in the same city at the same time. Hauptmann Karl and Hauptmann Paul Bodenstein were serving with Ingenieur Inspektion 4 at Metz, 1907. (This relevant to 1905 and 1906 tournament reports.)
A service date for Paul was provided ? 14.9.00 ? the date of his promotion to Hauptmann. This piece of information, along with the detailed information from marriage and birth records ? rank, unit, base station, home address ?allowed for Paul Bodenstein?s military career to be tracked. I chose to begin in 1891, when he married (this is also relevant to a 1920 finding).
In 1891 Paul Bodenstein was a Leutnant in Pionier Bataillon 17, based in Stettin but with a Berlin home address.
In 1893 he was temporarily attached to Inspection of Military Telegraph, Berlin, as P.L. and Adj., and in 1894 Pr. Lt. Bodenstein was transferred to Ingenieur Inspektion 3.
An 1895 entry shows that he was stationed at Koeln, and he was still there in the 1896 and 1897 entries.
A relevant CG submission about this time was:
Jul-08-21 Chessist: Deutsche Schachzeitung, Nov. 1896, back cover:
German Chess Federation membership in August 1896: II. Individual members
...
Bodenstein, Hugo, Prem.-Leutnant, Coeln, Member since 6/7. 96.
There was only one Prem. Leutnant Bodenstein in the Koeln unit at the time, Paul Bodenstein.
By 1898 Paul Bodenstein was a Prem. Leutnant with Pionier Bataillon 3 at Spandau, Berlin. He remained with this unit through 1899, by which time he is shown as Oblt (Oberleutnant).
Another relevant CG submission:
Jul-03-21 Chessist: Berger, Schach-Jahrbuch fuer 1899-1900, p. 108: "Bodenstein, Hugo, Oberleutnant im 3. Pionier-Bat. in Spandau. Einzelmitglied d. deutschen Schachbundes; H Barmen 95 II get., H Koeln 1898."
There was only one Oblt. Bodenstein in the unit at the time, and that was Paul (there was also a Hauptmann Bodenstein). Also, it has already been pointed out that reports on the Koeln 1898 congress showed P. Bodenstein (Berlin) as one of the entrants. His game against Exner at that event was published in several places and was used as part of the report on P. Bodenstein?s death in the Deutsche Schachblaetter 1934.
In 1900 Paul Bodenstein was promoted to Hauptmann and began serving with Pionier Bataillon 18 at Koenigsberg. He remained there through 1903.
In 1904 he was transferred to Ingenieur Inspektion 4, based at Metz. He remained there through 1908.
During that period there were reports of a chess tournament for the army in Vienna in 1905 that mentioned a Prussian Hauptmann H. Bodenstein. And the Deutsche Schachzeitung 1905, p127 referred to Hauptmann H. Bodenstein (Metz). During 1905 and 1906 there was only Hauptmann Bodenstein at Metz, and that was Paul
In 1908 Paul Bodenstein was transferred to the Ingenieur Komitee in Berlin. He remained in this post through 1910, during which time there are references to Hauptmann Bodenstein playing the Winter Tournaments of the Berliner Schachgesellschaft 1908/09 and 1909/10 (Deutsche Schachzeitung 1909, p88 and 1910, p218), and the Schachgesellschaft championship of 1910/11 (Neue Schlesische Zeitung, 14 Jan 1911).
Kibitzing
