Kastel Cemetery of Honor
The Ehrenfriedhof Kastel is a military cemetery for German soldiers who died in World War II on a rocky plateau near Kastel-Staadt .
history
In 1939 the 72nd Infantry Division was looking for a suitable place to build a military cemetery. The decision was made for a large free area with historical reference to the Celts and Romans as well as the “ Blind Bohemian King ” on the plateau above the Saar Valley in the immediate vicinity of today's parish cemetery and the old parish church of St. Johannes of the local community Kastel-Staadt.
The first fighting on German soil, the conquest of the fortified "Orscholzriegels" and the Siegfried Line bunkers on the eastern side of the Saar, resulted in heavy losses on both sides. During the French campaign in 1940 and at the front crossing in 1944/45, the number of dead rose sharply. The Germans who fell between the Upper Moselle and the Saar between September 1939 and February 23, 1945 were buried in Kastel-Staadt.
After the war, the grave fields were made provisionally. The graves were under a uniform lawn cover with a small stone cross with the name of the fallen and a hardy shrub.
Between 1955 and 1957 the cemetery was opened by the “ Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V. ”with the support of the federal, state, district and local community according to the design plans of Professor Tischler from Munich as chief architect of the VDK. The expansion had become necessary because all the fallen in the area were to be reburied in the Kastel cemetery of honor. Some of these reburies took place from the community cemeteries and some of them were still individual graves in the woods and fields.
The old Kastel parish church with its church tower from the 12th century was integrated into the entrance area. At the opposite head end of the cemetery a mighty stone cross was erected. At the foot of the cross there is a raised area as a mass grave for the unknown war dead. The rest of the dead rest in individual graves. On each of the graves planted with blue grass there is a stone set in the ground in the shape of a cross with a name, birthday and date of death. Larger stone crosses stand above the grave fields in groups of three. They should symbolize the idea of camaraderie beyond death. A main path leads around the memorial. Each grave can be reached via narrow cross paths.
Almost 1,400 dead have found their final resting place in this military cemetery.
The inauguration of the newly designed cemetery took place on November 17, 1957. The next of kin of the fallen were invited. They were reimbursed for their travel expenses and received free food and accommodation for two days.
The first cemetery gardener was Alois Leuk, who also made a name for himself in identifying the dead and keeping the grave lists. He was followed in the 1960s as cemetery gardener by Klaus Gehlen, later by Johann Mangerich and since April 1984 by Rainer Angel.
present
On the day of national mourning every year, the “Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V. ”for a central ceremony attended by the official representatives of the Trier-Saarburg district, the Saarburg community, the Kastel-Staadt community, the youth fire brigades of the community and the Trier Kyffhäuser comradeship. The war dead are commemorated with the help of the churches of both denominations and local associations. It is a good tradition that not only the Bundeswehr, but also the French garrison, which has been stationed in Saarburg for a long time, is represented by a military delegation in Kastel.
Memorial at the Kastel cemetery of honor
Burial ground
Old parish church at the Ehrenfriedhof
Web links
Coordinates: 49 ° 34 ′ 2.59 " N , 6 ° 34 ′ 15.65" E