Passendale (Zonnebeke)
Passendale (also Passchendaele ) is a district of the municipality of Zonnebeke in the Belgian province of West Flanders , halfway between Ypres and Roeselare .
First World War
The place was fiercely contested during the First World War . After the First Battle of the Ypres, Passendale was behind the German front line, but was captured by units of the United Kingdom and Canada with great losses in the Third Battle of Ypres (also known as the Third Battle of Flanders ) in 1917 . Since the battle ended with the conquest of the village, the entire battle is referred to in English with the synonym "Passchendaele". During this battle the area and the settlements of Zonnebekes were completely devastated. In the area around Passendale there are numerous monuments and military cemeteries of the fallen of the First World War.
Culture of remembrance
The struggles for Passendale play a role in Canada's culture of remembrance , where they are seen as a focal point on the way from a British colony to an independent nation. In 2008, the Canadian director and actor Paul Gross shot the war film The Field of Honor - The Battle of Passchendaele (2008), which is set against the backdrop of the events of 1917.
literature
- Lyn Macdonald : They Called it Passchendaele: The Story of the Battle of Ypres and of the Men Who Fought in it , London 1993 (several reprints; most recently 2013).
Web links
- Homepage of Zonnebeke (Dutch); Brief information (German, English, French)
- Passendale - pictures and cards
- First World War - History of Passendale and Zonnebeke
Individual evidence
- ↑ Paying homage to old horrors , Calgary Herald, October 29, 2013
Coordinates: 50 ° 54 ' N , 3 ° 1' E