Moscow: Military mess kit (dishes) of a POW from Güssing

In most areas, the relationship between the Austrians and the Allied troops was fraught. The presence of occupying troops caused tension, as did food scarcity and the high number of Austrian Wehrmacht soldiers who were now Allied prisoners of war.

The four different allied administrations across Austria introduced different measures to fight the shortage of food and commodities. Most goods were rationed and only dispensed upon presentation of coupons. Under these circumstances, illegal trafficking and the black market thrived in both civil society and prisoner of war camps.

Emmerich Marth from Güssing was taken captive by the Soviet army in 1945 and imprisoned in a labour camp. When he exceeded the daily work target he was rewarded with extra food. After a while he gathered enough provisions to trade them for this mess kit. Previously he had used an old tin can as a bowl.