Original WWI Belgian Occupation Poster 'Veranderingen in het Veebestand / Springstieren' – Moerbeke / Lokeren – 1917 – approx. 55 × 36 cm

An original First World War Belgian occupation poster titled 'Veranderingen in het Veebestand' (Changes in Livestock Numbers) with an additional notice concerning 'Springstieren' (Breeding Bulls). The poster was issued during the German occupation of Belgium in 1917 and reflects the strict administrative control over agricultural resources imposed during the war.The upper section announces that all livestock owners within the municipality were required to report any changes in their livestock numbers, regardless of the type of animals involved. These changes had to be declared to the municipal authorities, after which the information would be verified using official inspection registers. The order further required that any livestock owner who had failed to report changes within the prescribed period of 24 hours must immediately report the details, including the owner's name and address, the register number of the animals, and the number of days of delay in reporting.The lower notice concerns breeding bulls ('Springstieren'). Owners of bulls that had not yet been approved for breeding but intended to use them for breeding once they reached the required age were instructed to register these animals with the municipal office located on Damstraat No. 2, providing details of their identification mark and age. These declarations had to be submitted no later than 23 June 1917.The document is dated 18 June 1917 and issued in Moerbeke near Lokeren, signed by order of the acting mayor J. Marien. It also bears the name of Oberleutnant Muhler, representing the German Etappenkommandantur, the military administrative authority responsible for occupied territories. At the bottom the local printer Ch. Van den Bosch-Mestdagh, Moerbeke is credited.Measuring approximately 55 × 36 cm, the poster is a typical municipal announcement intended for public display during the First World War. It shows expected signs of age such as fold lines, light staining and minor wear consistent with wartime paper notices, but remains in good overall condition and clearly readable.A very interesting historical document illustrating the strict regulation of livestock and agricultural production in occupied Belgium during WWI, making it an appealing item for collectors of First World War memorabilia, occupation history, or early 20th century municipal posters.