Memorials in Germany

[egbert]

Inspired by similar threads about British home memorials/graves, I'd like to share some interesting pictures with you. I made the photos yesterday at the occasion of my Germany trip. Here is the first one, taken on a cemetery in Duesseldorf. There are several of this kind and I took this as an outstanding exemple:

it says " In memory of our only son Hermann Ibach, Leutnant d.Reserve in Infanterieregiment HessenHomburg 166, bearer of Iron Cross II, born 4 April 1987, kia 6 July 1918 near/in front of Ypres

The memory stone is a clear indication that Herman Ibach was never recovered and belongs to the Great Army of the Missing

[egbert]

Another interesting grave on the Duesseldorf cemetery - despite being from WWII - is the following:

it says:"In memory of Horst Heiner Dienz, Second Lieutenant and Battery Commander, born....kia.....

Dr. Heinrich Brandt, born....kidnapped 1 August 1945 in Berlin

For Dienz the indication is as well" no known grave, missing", and Brandt was kidnapped by the Russians in Berlin and has no known grave

[egbert]

And here is my favorite one, taken this morning . It is situated in the coastal harbour town of Cuxhaven. It's a memorial to the German minesweeper personell. Cuxhaven was an important minesweeper home in WW1 as well as WWII. After the war 1945 German minesweeper personell were forced to clear the thousands of mines in the North Sea; the organisation was known as GMSA (German Minesweeping Agency);

the memorial says:"In memory for all the comrades of the minesweeper kia 1914-1918, 1939-1945, 1947

[spike10764]

Great pictures, egbert, thanks for posting them.

I must say the minesweeper memorial brings an amazing balance of sombre AND eyecatching and is a suitable tribute to those who it commemorates, in my opinion.

[egbert]

Here is an excellent site with hundreds of German memorials existing today:

click here

[marina]

Here is an excellent site with hundreds of German memorials existing today:

click here

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Egbert - there is a quotation at the top of the page at this site which I have been trying to translate but cannot:

'Vergiss, mein Volk, die teuren Toten nicht und schmucke auch unsere Urne mit dem Eichenkranz'

Can you help out?

Marina

[sandyford]

Egbert

Thank you for bringing Leutnant Ibach, Oberleutnant Diez & Dr. Heinrich Brandt, with no known graves, to our attention.

Dr. Brandt was captured when he was 54 years old, unless I have misread the inscription, so I wonder if he was captured as a civilian. He may also have fought in WW1.

Of course mine sweeping has to be done, but it is very sad to think of all the men who lost their lives in this work and I am glad that they have this special memorial.

Thank you also for the link to the memorial site.

Kate

[Michael Lowrey]

'Vergiss, mein Volk, die teuren Toten nicht und schmucke auch unsere Urne mit dem Eichenkranz'

Literally, "Forget, my people, not the costly dead and adorn our urns with wreaths of oak" though I sense that Eichenkranz ("wreaths of oak") likely has a special connotations in German.

xxxx

And ironically enough, I hit upon this thread while taking a break from trying to attribute out the sinking of a minesweeper...

Best wishes,

Michael

[egbert]

Marina I think Michael has done the best job possible in translating this old rhyme; for sure this is the most difficult stuff to translate in English without loosing the rhyme and more important- the sense; as an add on to the minesweeper memorial: we are way outside the Remembrance Day events in Germany: I realize fresh wreaths and flowers at the base of the memorial -this is wonderful that there are some few today's people who care about the long time ago deceased...indeed they are not forgotten (at least with some few)

[marina]

Thanks, Michael and Egbert.

Marina

[egbert]

With special thanks to Hinrich ("the german" in this forum), who found the following:

Leutnant Ibach is buried in Menen, block G, grave 2492. He was a member of II.Btl IR 166. In the memory edition of German Officer Corps, his place of death is "Kemmel", most likely village Kemmel.

It is a pity that the next of kin probably do not know his whereabout and always thought of a missing son with no known grave. The parents are most likely dead as well after so many years. If somebody from here could post a picture of Menen cemetery Lt Ibach grave- that would be very nice.....

[sandyford]

Excellent information from Hinrich and perhaps we will be able to see his burial place.

As you say - very sad if people who knew him didn't know his resting place.

I know this is outside the remit of this forum but I have been thinking about Dr. Brandt and I wonder if he might have been a scientist captured by the Russians for his expertise.

Kate

[egbert]

Also encouraged and inspired by this forum, I visited today my ex-hometown where I will move back after my Alabama Redneck adventure. Although having strong ties to the community here, i discovered only by accident that my home town (some 30.000 population) houses a war grave section, covering a memorial and some reburials from the Great War and of course WWII:

the entrance (always neglected by myself until today)

[egbert]

The memorial for sons of the village, kia 1914-1918; quite a burdon for a village of than maybe some hundred population only: 110 fallen are remembered

[egbert]

another view

[egbert]

single WW1 fate:

[egbert]

and a total view of Great War and WWII graves/memorials

[marina]

another view

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is a beautiful restful one.

Marina

[AOK4]

Hello Egbert,

As Menen-Wevelgem is very near to my home, I'll try to go there this week and take a picture of his gravestone.

Regards,

Jan

[Malte Znaniecki]

Bravo Egbert ! Go on please.

[Regulus 1]

There are also two German memorials at Zande West Flanders, which are practically as good as totally unknown :

and

Please click on photo's for a larger view.

Best from Johan

[paul guthrie]

I wish I had a picture of the memorial in the historic village of Hohenstaufen where I lived while in the army. It's moving, a soldier holding a dead or dying comrade.

The village is one of the Schwabish Albs, the others are Schwabish Gemund and Schwabish Hall.

This place was home to a family which produced several Holy Roman Emperors, Dukes of Swabia etc. I assure you it's quite a bit prettier than Verona! Killer Greman food too at the Golden Ox I think it was at the lower end.

[raphtophoto]

German Military Cemetery Menen; the gravestone of Major Ibach:

Hans

[egbert]

Thank you so much Hans and Hinrich to discover one Great War lost soul out of millions

[sandyford]

It is excellent that we can see the memorial of Leutnant Ibach.

Thank you very much, Hans, for taking the trouble to search out the memorial and posting the photo and also to Hinrich for finding the reference to the memorial.

I note that his death is mentioned as occurring at Kemmel and possibly the village.

Once again, it is amazing the information that is discovered about individual soldiers from the perseverence of forum members.

As Egbert says, it is a pity that the relatives of Leutnant Ibach probably were not able to see his official memorial.

Kate