egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Share Posted 12 October , 2006 In recent threads about PoW camps in Germany, I found considerable interest from various pals in the Koeln-Wahn PoW camp. As I work on the grounds of the former PoW camp since October , I took some pictures of this hidden piece of tranquility today. These are rare pictures because the area is not accessible for the public. Today it is part of Wahn AFB and is restricted area. In the middle of today's Cologne-Wahn AFB there is a nice, well maintained PoW cemetery with mostly dead from nearby former Great War PoW camp Wahn. There are French, Russian known and unknown marked graves and also quite a few German ones. Even today, after so many years, each Remembrance Day (Volkstrauertag) a delegation of Luftwaffe-soldiers of all ranks gather on the grounds of the cemetery and pay tribute to the dead and lay the wreaths. The military catholic priest and Lutheran pastor each hold a speech and prayer as does the base commander. I suspect that the British PoW dead have been relocated at a later point in time to Koeln-Sued cemetery. When I took the pictures today I was surprised of the fresh wreaths and flower bouquets, although Volkstrauertag is only to come in November. For you the foreign friends- this serves as an outstanding example how Germany honors the dead of former hostile countries in dignity. Even without any civilian guests visiting the graves, they are not forgotten by us and are remembered by German Armed Forces personnel. For orientation please see this sat pic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 View towards the cemetery within Wahn AFB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 Wide angle view Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 Memorial plaque and memorial with engraved names of French PoWs ... .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 The Russian memorial with plaque, depicting the Czar crest. Ukrainian and Russian crape on flower bouquet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 ... German translation of Russian text Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 The next set of pics are from High Cross overviewing the PoW cemetery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 the single flower bouquets representing the colours of the PoWs nationality Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 On the right side the wreath from Chief German Air Force with official crape Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 Breathtaking power of flowers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 The wreath of the society of German Armed Forces aviators honors the dead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 Society of former Starfighter (F-104) squadrons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 ...PoWs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 French Army of Occupation dead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 A Russian grave, most likely forgotten to the world. But we will remember! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 Snapshot of French, German and Russian (1945) grave of unknown soldiers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 ... ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 12 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2006 And this is something very special: the memorial for the two main mutineers of the 1918 sailor's mutiny in Kiel on ships of the Imperial High Sea's Fleet. They had been sentenced to death here and shot at dawn after their trial: Reichpietsch, Max, * 24.10.1894 Charlottenburg, + 5.9.1917 Wahn near Köln, Matrose, Revolutionary; he served on the battleship "Friedrich der Große" and acted as leading agitator and organizer of the High Sea Fleet’s sailor/seaman revolutionary movement in summer 1917; together with Albin Köbis he prepared the mutiny 25. August: A Wilhelmshaven based war tribunal imposed 5 death penalties against mutineers and against several others multiyear prison terms. The CiC of the fleet pardoned 3 death candidates; 23 years old Oberheizer Max Reichpietsch and 25years old Heizer Albin Köbis were shot at dawn at Wahn/Wahnerheide, 27./29. October 1918: Begin of the mutiny on ships of the High Sea Fleet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilkokcl Posted 12 October , 2006 Share Posted 12 October , 2006 Thanks for sharing those with us Egbert Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 13 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 13 October , 2006 Thank you Mark! Yesterday I thought it would be somehow appreciated to post actual pics from PoW Wahn, as there was lots of interest in another thread about Wahn. But I am proofed wrong! The dissapointing lack of interest is not worth to continue with the time consuming pic- resizing, -cropping etc work. I will not continue posting pics and GWF postcards of Wahn PoW here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J T Gray Posted 13 October , 2006 Share Posted 13 October , 2006 Thank you Mark! Yesterday I thought it would be somehow appreciated to post actual pics from PoW Wahn, as there was lots of interest in another thread about Wahn. But I am proofed wrong! The dissapointing lack of interest is not worth to continue with the time consuming pic- resizing, -cropping etc work. I will not continue posting pics and GWF postcards of Wahn PoW here. Well I, for one, am interested, Egbert! I've only just spotted the thread - give it a few days and it might grow yet. There are a number of fascinating snippets, like the mutineers and the WW2 unknowns, here that I was unaware of. Thankfully my grandfather isn't there, or I wouldn't be here. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malte Znaniecki Posted 13 October , 2006 Share Posted 13 October , 2006 Phantastic Pictures Egbert ! I wonder why so less people are interested or give any comment Yours sincerely Malte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 13 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 13 October , 2006 Phantastic Pictures Egbert ! I wonder why so less people are interested or give any comment Yours sincerely Malte Malte very simple: because there are no British graves....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philg Posted 13 October , 2006 Share Posted 13 October , 2006 Well I appreciated it, so many thanks for posting Egbert. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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