Langemark

[Tim Birch]

I watched a recent TV documentary tracing the origins of Nazism to the Great War and the concept of the rise of the Nazi military machine being the resurection of the German soldiers who died in the Great War.

Footage was shown of Hitler paying homage to the fallen at Langemark cemetery shortly after the fall of Belgium.This showed the graves marked by crosses. When and why were these replaced by the flat stone grave markers now laid at Langemark Cemetery?

Tim

[AOK4]

Hello Tim,

This was done in 1971. I guess this was done because the crosses were standing too close together otherwise?

You have to know that the cemtery in Langemark counted only about 10.000 bodies untill the 1950's. Since the concentration of the German cemeteries in 1955-1960, more than 44.000 fallen rest in Langemark (about 24.000 in the mass grave). From 1970 till 1972 the cemetery was laid out again and the graves were from then on marked by flat stones.

If you can read German, you should visit this link: Langemark

Jan

[Tim Birch]

Many thanks, Jan

Cheers

Tim