War memorial (Sohren)
The war memorial in the Hunsrück community of Sohren is a listed war memorial in the form of an overall facility to honor the fallen and missing residents in the two world wars. It is located on the corner of Hauptstrasse and Denkmalstrasse, 15 meters above the ground on the Vogelberg site.
The memorial annually celebrates the day of national mourning on the third Sunday of November.
history
Establishment of the monument
The war memorial was erected in spring 1934 to commemorate the 43 fallen soldiers of the First World War . The inauguration ceremony took place on July 27, 1934 in the presence of the District President Harald Turner . The program of the celebration, which was affected by heavy thunderstorms, included performances by the music club, a mixed choir and a speaking choir of the school youth, as well as a speech by the then mayor Adolf Bonn on the creation of the monument and a speech by the site manager Gauer about the construction plans.
In the following year, the bells were installed and inaugurated on Memorial Day . Two memorial plaques for the 72 fallen and missing of the Second World War were later added to the memorial , which are located on the pillars inside the hall.
Next to the stairway access to the building there was initially a swastika on each side , which were later replaced by inscriptions. In the pillared hall there are usually wreaths laid down by the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge , the municipality of Sohren and the associations of the municipality.
Renovation work in the 21st century
In 2013 and 2014, renovation work was carried out on the facility in three construction phases. For this purpose, the "Monument Restoration Project Group" was set up in the local council, which developed concrete proposals for the procedure. The costs for the renovation, most of which had to be carried out by the municipality, were estimated in advance at 75,000 euros.
A renovation in three construction phases was planned. First, the four-step staircase and the paving in the interior should be renewed. The renovation of the monument terrace was planned for the second construction phase. In the third section, the renewal of the staircase from the street to the monument should follow.
As part of the renovation work, the vaulted ceiling was repaired and repainted, and protective sheets were attached around the roof covering. The bell holders and the letters attached to the memorial were painted with hammered paint. The vegetation in the area of the rock face was removed. Two local companies were involved in the renovation and made donations to the community. It was 500 euros from a roofing company and 618.80 euros from a painting company.
Wreath of the municipality of Sohren
VDK wreath
Wreath of the associations of the community
construction
The planted area is accessible from the main street via a staircase. On the wall to the left of the stairs is written "YOUR FALLEN HERO", to the right "THE COMMUNITY SOHREN". In the center of the facility is an octagonal columned hall with eight columns and pointed arches made of broken slate , which can be accessed via a four-step staircase. A bell is installed in each of the pointed arches . Above the entrance of the hall is the writing "EHRET UNSERE TREUEN TOTEN" with an iron cross and the dates 1914 and 1918 , as well as 1939 and 1945 for the beginning and end of the two world wars. In the columned hall there is the writing “YOU DIE FOR IHR FATHERLAND” and a sandstone figure .
The sculpture is on a square stone base and has a total height of 3.20 meters. It shows a wounded kneeling soldier who is being supported by a comrade. The rank, name, date of birth and death and location of the soldiers are shown on three surfaces of the base. On the fourth surface there is the dedication “THE DEAD TO REMEMBER, THE LIVING TO THE SIGN AND THE DESCENDANTS TO EMOTION”. The sculpture was created in an adjoining barn by the artist Bernhard Wendhut from Traben-Trarbach and, due to lack of time, was also made during night work and the kitchen of the estate, as this, in contrast to the barn, had electric lighting.
The roof of the pillared hall forms a dome, which was built from wood from the community's own forests. There is an eagle sculpture on it.
Mention in the film
In the first part of the Heimat trilogy by director Edgar Reitz, the inauguration of the Sohrener war memorial is mentioned. However, the film takes place between 1919 and 1928, a few years before the actual inauguration.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Stefanie Fellenzer, Regina Schall: War memorial Sohren , in: Herzog-Johann-Gymnasium Simmern, annual report 19.2001 (2002), pp. 153–155
- ↑ VI. Wars and times of need , in Gustav Schellack, Willi Wagner: Sohren - Chronik einer Hunsrückgemeinde, Simmern, Verlag Böhmer, 1981, page 69 ff.
- ↑ The war memorial , SPD Sohren
- ^ Sohrener Telegram , December 2013 edition
- ↑ Monument restoration , Markus Bongard, local mayor
Coordinates: 49 ° 55 ′ 50.8 " N , 7 ° 18 ′ 28.7" E