Thursday, December 7, 2017

A German Magazine Documents the Ottoman Army

The Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung, often abbreviated BIZ, was a weekly illustrated magazine published in Berlin from 1892 to 1945. BIZ's WWI archives are one the best sources of photographs of the Ottoman Army during the war. It was the first mass-market German magazine and pioneered the format of the illustrated news magazine with the photo-essay, a specialized staff, a production unit for pictures, and a vast photo library. With other news magazines like the Münchner Illustrierte Presse and Vu in France, it also pioneered the use of candid photographs taken with the new smaller cameras. BIZ was published on Thursdays but bore the date of the following Sunday.  

Mortar Position, Dardanelles




General Liman von Sanders, Senior German Officer




Turkish Supply Column at Rest




Turkish Artillery Firing, Casualties to the Rear




Observation Position




Anti-Aircraft Position




Searchlight Position, Dardanelles




Stretcher Column, Turkish Officer, Arab Bearers




German General August von Mackensen on a Visit to Constantinople




A German Officer Camel-Mounted




Non-Turkish Ottoman Troops in a New Firing Trench




Turkish Officers Conducting a Class in Medina



These photos are from the collection of Contributing Editor Tony Langley of Antwerp, Belgium (formerly New Jersey, USA). Comments are from Wikipedia

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