Proclamation of Count Pfeil to the population of the city of Vilnius - Vilnius September 18, 1915.
Fine poster paper. Proclamation after conservation, underlining rubbing.
Large format : 43 x 69 [cm].
RARE
" Thecontent of the proclamation, printed in German, Polish and Russian, Count in the text took the liberty of courteously calling Vilnius "the pearl in the Slavne Kingdom of Poland", he also wrote : the villages burning all around illuminate the RUSSIAN FEATURES.
The proclamation provoked a protest from representatives of other nationalities. A delegation of Lithuanians came to the commandant about it, trying to make him understand that Vilnius was the eternal capital of the Lithuanian Principality. Pfeil probably received a corresponding order from the command, because the proclamation was removed from the walls the very next day. Wanda Dobaczewska later wrote: "The proclamation turned out to be the personal gaffe of a young, enthusiastic German officer, as it had nothing to do with the real intentions of the German authorities."
