Google image translate was able to get me as far as “For our…” and “on behalf of”, but that’s it.

It’s a 1924 edition of Hegel’s Lectures on Philosophy of History, in German, published by Philipp Reclam Jun. of Leipzig as part of the Reclam Universal Library. I picked it up years ago at a second hand book sale along with a ton of other books, just got around to noticing the stamp and inscription. As far as I can tell from a bit of googling, the stamp indicates this book was sent or received by a German prisoner of war in a British labour camp in Egypt, probably the suez canal zone. I couldn’t find an exact location for German Independent Working Company 2719.

Anyway, would love a translation of the handwriting if anyone can figure it out. The combination of messy writing, possibly abbreviations, and a language I don’t speak has stumped me.

  • morgunkorn@discuss.tchncs.de
    16·
    7 months ago

    That’s what i can gather from it:

    For our comrade Mar. L. (unsure)

On behalf of Wilh. Prinz. 
Mainz-Mombach
Hauptstrasse 46 II

    Wilh. is surely “Wilhelm”

    • randomsnarkOPEnglish
      7·
      7 months ago

      Thanks! I guess Google actually translated almost all of it except proper nouns (and comrade). Haupstrasse 46 does seem to be a valid address in Mainz-Mombach. I guess I had hoped there was some mention of rank or something, to make clear that it was a German soldier, although tbh my research about the stamp has resolved that to my satisfaction anyway.

      Thanks for your help! 😀