Albert Mayer (soldier)

Albert Mayer (born August 1, 1892, died December 25, 1914) was a German soldier and the first officially recorded German fatality caused by enemy action during World War I. Mayer, a Leutnant (second lieutenant) in the 23rd Infantry Regiment, was killed in action on December 25, 1914, during fighting near the village of Aspach-le-Haut in Alsace. The location is now part of the French commune of Aspach-Michelbach. While individual soldiers likely died earlier due to accidents or other causes, Mayer's death is documented as the first specifically due to enemy fire, making him a symbolic figure in German wartime narratives.