Original WWI German Occupation Poster 'Leghoenders' – Moerbeke / Lokeren – 1917 – 55 × 36 cm

An original First World War Belgian occupation poster titled 'Leghoenders' (Laying Hens), issued during the German occupation of Belgium in 1917. The notice concerns the requisitioning and purchase of laying hens for military or administrative supply purposes.The poster explains that the Etappenkommandantur (German military administrative authority) informed the municipal authorities that it intended to purchase laying hens in the near future. Farmers and residents were asked to voluntarily offer hens for sale, with a payment of 3 francs per good laying hen. The municipality was required to collect the offers and send a list of the available hens by 23 May.The notice further states that if the required number of 500 hens was not reached through voluntary offers, the remaining number would be compulsorily purchased, illustrating the increasing pressure placed on local agricultural production during the occupation.The document is dated 19 May 1917 and issued in Moerbeke near Lokeren, signed by order of the acting mayor J. Marien. It also references Oberleutnant and Commandant Muhler, representing the German military authority. At the bottom, the local printer Ch. Van den Bosch-Mestdagh, Moerbeke is credited.Measuring approximately 55 × 36 cm, the poster is a typical wartime municipal announcement printed for public display. It shows expected signs of age such as fold lines and light wear, consistent with paper notices from the First World War period, but remains in good overall condition and clearly readable.A fascinating historical document illustrating the requisitioning of agricultural resources by German occupation authorities in Belgium during WWI, making it an interesting piece for collectors of First World War memorabilia, occupation history, or early 20th century municipal posters.