Tobias M. Eckrich is the Chairman of the German Tolkien Society. In recent conversation, he told us about a new exciting project called “Tolkien in the Great War“.
Tobias says:
“This year sees the centenary of J.R.R. Tolkien’s service in the Great War. On this occasion, we will start a special project on 2nd June 2016, which follows Tolkien through his time in the war. Via our social media accounts, we will upload pictures and texts on certain dates, showing what has taken place on that exact day in Tolkien’s life 100 years ago.”
Tobias has developed the project alongside Tolkien Author John Garth (Tolkien and the Great War) and historian Annika Röttinger.
As the project’s website explains:
“During the Great War, Tolkien was posted in Northern France as signalling officer on the British side. As a soldier of the 11th battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers, he fought in the Battle of the Somme and experienced the horror of trench warfare. The project starts on 2nd June, as on this day in 1916 Tolkien received his embarkation orders, sending him to France. We will follow young Tolkien from this day on until he falls sick with trench fever and returns to England in October.”
If you want to follow this exciting project in the English language, you can do so on their Twitter (@GermanTolkSoc) feed and Instagram account. The official Facebook page will have the posts in German and by the end of the project all posts will be available on the website.
Don’t miss this fascinating opportunity to discover more about Tolkien’s life during World War I.
