After the active phase of duty was completed, soldiers went home for civil life and became reservists. Soldiers in reserve had several duties: they had to report any change of residence to the municipal authority, attend military trainings, and could be mobilized in time of war. In the case of the infantry, the service lasted 10 years - either 3 years of active service followed by 7 years in the reserves, or 10 years in the reserve in case of the 8 weeks training. After completing service in the reserves, each infantryman was transfered to the Landwehr (home defense). The home defense had no obligations in peace time, it was assigned to the non-combatant forces in times of war.

For the above mentioned purposes, each municipality had to keep a book of military persons in reserve or on permanent furlough no matter if living in the place permanently or just for a short time. Immediately after arrival, a reservist had to personally report to the town hall, show his military book, and inform the authorities about his current address. The information was recorded in a book and a report was sent to the appropriate military district.