Fuel cell stacks and fuel cell system with a combustion heater

Fuel cell stack having a pair of end cells, the interposition of a plurality of inner cells as a layer structure, a combustion heater adjacent to each of said end cells for the direct heating of the end cells during a cold start of the stack, wherein the heater a housing having internal walls defining a combustion chamber, a catalyst in the chamber to support the exothermic oxidation of H