Die Deutschen Friedhöfe im Sektor

(The German Cemeteries in the Sector)

by Randal S. Gaulke

German Cemetery at Liny-devant-Dun

    Frequent visitors to the Western Front know that, in many ways, the German cemeteries are the antitheses of the American cemeteries and monuments.  The latter (i.e. American) are very large and grand in design and white marble.  Signs for them are already posted at the appropriate Auto route exits, and numerous signposts throughout the salient guide visitors to these majestic symbols of the Allied victory.  In contrast, the German cemeteries are very dark and somber, the signage is much poorer, and they are often difficult to locate.  In many cases, one does not know that he or she is near a German cemetery until one stumbles on it.

    In total, there are twelve cemeteries that could be considered part of the Meuse-Argonne sector, and there are many more in the nearby Verdun and Champagne sectors.  Specific cemetery details are outlined in the table below, along with a map to help visitors find each cemetery.

    German war cemeteries are typically enclosed by a stone or arbor fence, with a heavy black metal door and stone gate marking the entrance.  At the entrance one will also find a cemetery name plaque, a holder for the registry book, and a stone or metal plaque indicating the number of soldiers buried in the cemetery.  Most cemeteries have rows of steel or stone crosses, a communal grave, and a large cross as a focal point. However, it is always worth scouting the edges of the German cemeteries, as one will often find vestiges of older-style headstone or unique headstones for individuals or units.  This seems to be especially true at the cemeteries actually established by the Germans during the war.  (See chart below.)  A classic example is the walkway along the edge of the cemetery at Romagne, shown here.

    A quick walk of the cemeteries reveals that most of the graves are from the years 1915-1917, not 1918.  This must be due, in part, to the fact that the relatively rapid German retreat in late 1918 placed a great amount of strain on the German Army, reducing the time and resources available for proper burial.  On an unofficial review, it appears that Buzancy had the greatest number of late 1918 graves.  One reason for this could be that Buzancy was still a respectible distance behind the jump-off line in the Meuse-Argonne offensive.

    It was pleasing to note that, in October 2003, most of the cemeteries visited either had a Name Book,  which gave the names and locations of the soldiers buried in the cemetery, or a Guest Book or both.  This marks a significant improvement over prior years, where many of the cemeteries visited by the author had neither.  Perhaps it was luck.  Perhaps the German War Graves Association has allocated more funds for this.  Perhaps, with the passage of time, hostile French citizens are not removing them.  The author's only criticism is that the Namenbuch does not list the soldiers' regiments.  Thus, it is of limited value in identifying the regiments that served in the sector.

    The German organization charged with the job of maintaining the cemeteries is the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (www.volksbund.de), or German War Graves Commission, founded in December 1919.  In total, the German War Graves Commission is responsible for the care and maintenance of 1.9 million war graves in 806 cemeteries in 43 countries--a staggering task.  With the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Block, the Kriegsgräberfürsorge's attention has turned eastward.  For example, in 2002 a total of 66 cemeteries were expanded and completed, including 11 in Russia alone.  Also in 2002, over 37,000 soldiers were laid to rest; over half of which were in the Russian Federation and the Ukraine.

    In order to accomplish its mission, the Commission generated 2002 revenues of approximately €43.5 million, which amounts to a budget of only €23 per grave or €54,000 per cemetery.  What makes the Commission somewhat unique is that a full 88% of its 2002 revenues came from donations, members' contributions, and church offerings.  (Source:  Arbeitsbilanz 2002.)  A donation form has been included at the end of this article for any readers who feel moved to make a donation.  Bringing the war to an individual level, the German soldiers buried in the Commission's cemeteries certainly suffered an existence equally as terrible as that suffered by their counterparts from the Allied powers.

Left:  A unique stone at Apremont.  Middle:  Another one at Epionvile.  Right:  A crucifix on ruins just outside of the Dannevoux cemetery.

Left:  The mosaic alter on the Chapel at Romagen.  Right:  One of the many old-style graves at Nantillois.

(1) Numbers correspond to the map referenced in this article.  (2) The first number is the number of individual graves.  The second number is the number of soldiers buried in communal graves.

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