Life — June 27, 1918 — page 27: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a German-language political cartoon satirizing the end of World War I. Titled "Der End" ("The End"), it depicts the "Arrival at Kriegskadaververwertungsgesellschaft" (War Corpse Utilization Company) — a darkly satirical reference to processing the war dead. The cartoon shows numerous spherical figures (representing fallen soldiers or casualties) being herded toward various processing stations and facilities. Labels identify different groups: "Radikalist," "Social Democrat," "Philisterian," "Obersdaverberer," and others — suggesting different political factions among the casualties. A boat or vessel in the upper right appears to be receiving new arrivals. The satire critiques how different political groups were treated or exploited in the war's aftermath, with grim humor about bureaucratic processing of human suffering. The cartoon expresses anti-war sentiment through grotesque imagery of mechanized death.