Bozen shield

I recently visited Innsbruck and attended the Kaiserjägermuseum there. The history of the Tyrolean fighters is nicely explained, from the establishment of their associations and their first use in combat (the Hofer Uprisal of Independence against Napoleonic rule) to the present day. It is particularly interesting that the museum stands on the Bergisel plateau, where the great battle of the uprising against Napoleon took place in 1809. But the museum also keeps many relics from the Great War. One of them is the shield-shaped plaque of the 2nd land rifle regiment of Bozen.

I’ve written about the shield-shaped badge twice before (here and here). The ragged surface of the badge was striking. Now the reason for this has become clear in the museum. As in many other cities, outdoor wooden sculptures were set up in Bozen, in which an iron nail could be hammered in exchange for donations paid to local relief funds. The shield was created for such a fundraising. It is currently kept in this museum.