egbert Posted 19 April , 2005 Share Posted 19 April , 2005 For those of you who followed over the years here on forum the fate/stories/pictures of my Granddad will be as much surprised as myself: some time ago I found a picture postcard from the 1930s. My Grandmother in memory of her husband, KIA1 May 1918, kept the postcard . It showed a war memorial with the names of all killed members of Infanterieregiment 49. I thought it is a lost memorial somewhere in today's Poland (because the regiment was stationed in peace time in Posen which was a German province by the time). When I looked closer to the picture I realized a town's name I was not familiar with. Some research in the web showed me a location in East Germany. The town's name has changed since, but in my euphoria i wrote to the towns authorities. After some emails back and forth between Alabama and Gross Boernecke, I received digital pictures of the "lost" memorial. They say it is maintained and each year at Remembrance Day there even is a wreath laying ceremony by the local "Schuetzenverein". On this way I'd like to share my emotions with you about the wonderful memorial some 1000km away from Posen in a little town in East Germany that remembers IR49! I don’t know why it is located there, but it sure is a great story. Here is the original postcard from the 1930s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 19 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 19 April , 2005 This is one of the pictures how the memorial looks 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 19 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 19 April , 2005 ....and here is the one board with Granddads name engraved Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 19 April , 2005 Share Posted 19 April , 2005 Excellent news, Egbert. I share your happiness and I'm sure that others will, too. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 19 April , 2005 Share Posted 19 April , 2005 Congratulations Egbert................Another chapter of your Grandfathers story completed..........You must be very pleased..............From the close up of the panel, it would appear the the memorial is indeed well maintained.....something which is always gratifying because it shows those on it are not forgotton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 19 April , 2005 Share Posted 19 April , 2005 Congratulations Egbert. Another piece of your family's history has dropped into place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 19 April , 2005 Share Posted 19 April , 2005 Egbert, Great stuff, I am very happy for you. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 19 April , 2005 Share Posted 19 April , 2005 Excellent.... I share in your enthusiaism and am very excited for you since all you hard work has returned such a positive reward. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 20 April , 2005 Share Posted 20 April , 2005 (edited) Thank you for sharing this, Egbert. I can understand why you are ecstatic. It's a wonderful, moving, story. I am so very happy for you. I'm sad, too, though, that you never had the opportunity to know him. Gwyn Edited 20 April , 2005 by Dragon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPCLI Posted 20 April , 2005 Share Posted 20 April , 2005 Congratulations Egbert. You'll celebrate for a couple of days, but then you'll want to know why the memorial is located where it is? There's always something else to find out isn't there? But that's part of the fun! Cheers, Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 20 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 April , 2005 Thanx all for your nice contributions, they mean a lot to me! I don't think that I can research the "why"-location of the memorial. At least in this little town nobody can answer.... The other thing that I do not understand is : I see 6 boards, let's say each with 20 names, makes it to roughly 120 names of those KIA. The total number of IR 49 KIA between 1914-1918 summed up to exactly 4930. Why only 120??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 20 April , 2005 Share Posted 20 April , 2005 Congratulations on locating that memorial Egbert. It does seem strange why only 120 out of 4930 are commemorated. Perhaps these 120 men have a special link to this town? Cheers Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike10764 Posted 20 April , 2005 Share Posted 20 April , 2005 Congratulations Egbert, A great piece of detective work, you must be so pleased. Now I bet you want to find out more. As has been said- why only 120- have they a connection with the town. Who has been responsible for the superb condition of the monument- maybe someone from the relevant department of the local council(?) can help you. Often if they don't know, they know someone who does. Good luck and thanks for sharing the news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 20 April , 2005 Share Posted 20 April , 2005 Cogratulation, Egbert. Another piece of the jigsaw in place. I'm pleased for you. And I'm sure you're looking forward to working out just why the memorial is there. Perhaps the names are just from the period in 1918 when the Regiment was based there? Best wishes John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 20 April , 2005 Share Posted 20 April , 2005 What a wonderful discovery, Egbert. Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 20 April , 2005 Share Posted 20 April , 2005 Very pleased to hear your news Egbert Start saving for the trip to Germany Best regards Michael D.R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J T Gray Posted 20 April , 2005 Share Posted 20 April , 2005 Given the help you have given me with my Grandfather, I am delighted to hear that you have had a positive result with yours! Well done, and happy hunting! Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 20 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 April , 2005 @all: I am very pleased upon your congrats! The point with the memorial in a "foreign " village is weird: IR 49 peacetime basing and recruiting center was always the town of Gnesen in German province Posen. There was never a connection to the memorial village, at least until the regiment was disbanded 1919. I have letters from Grandmother and the matching regimental history. Both say that the remnants of the regiment had no rest after returning home (after armistice) late 1918. They immediately had to protect the German population against Pole hordes that drove the German civilians out of the province. The sources say, that the Poles raped, murdered and plundered the German population. Grandmother describes vividly how she fled with my 3 year old father and the other 1 year old brother to Prussia in order to avoid death. Remnants of IR 49 covered the retreat of the civilians of Gnesen and were able to avoid some cruelties. That was more or less the end of the once proud regiment. The surviving men were strewn all over Germany in order to find a new home/work. My Grandmother never lived in the memorial town , the IR 49 memorial is located nowadays (State of Sachsen-Anhalt). Strange thing isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 20 April , 2005 Share Posted 20 April , 2005 Egbert. Congratulations on the success of your detective work - it must have been an emotional moment when the pictures arrived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 20 April , 2005 Share Posted 20 April , 2005 egbert, that is just fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Posted 20 April , 2005 Share Posted 20 April , 2005 Congratulations Egbert, I'm very happy for you Regards Annie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 20 April , 2005 Share Posted 20 April , 2005 Brilliant news Egbert; I once went to a little village near Backnang, where my friend Klaus showed me a very similar monument to the local men, including his grandfather who was killed in the Heidenkopf at Serre. I had often wondered whether such memorials existed in Germany; it was pleasing to see that they did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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