The Menen German war cemetery is a military cemetery in the Belgian town of
Menen
Menen (; french: Menin ; vls, Mêenn or ) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Menen proper and the towns of Lauwe and Rekkem. The city is situated on the French/Be ...
territory and partly in Wevelgem. There were nearly 48,000 German soldiers buried from the First World War, making it the largest in Flanders. In between are several crosses and oak and chestnut trees. In the center is an octagonal memorial chapel.
The original cemetery was created in 1917. Between 1956 and 1958, there were 128 small German military cemeteries scattered across Flanders consolidated to four. The remains of the cemeteries were transferred to the cemeteries of
Langemark
Langemark is a village in the Belgian province of West Flanders, and a subdivision of the municipality of Langemark-Poelkapelle. The village has about 5,000 inhabitants. Besides the village center, there are also three smaller hamlets on th ...
,
Vladslo
Vladslo is a village in the Belgian province of West Flanders and a part (" deelgemeente") of the municipality of Diksmuide. The rural village has slightly over 1,200 inhabitants.
Attractions
* The church of St Martin has a Romanesque tower da ...
,
Hooglede
Hooglede (; vls, Ooglee) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of and Hooglede proper. On January 1, 2006, Hooglede had a total population of 9,831. The total area is 37.84 k ...
and Menen. Menen casualties came from 53 small cemeteries. The German architect R. Tischler designed the octagonal mausoleum and a reception building. Around the chapel are eight tombstones, bearing the names and locations of the 53 cemeteries, from where the fallen were transferred. The grave stones were restored in 1991.
The cemetery is administered by the
German War Graves Commission
The German War Graves Commission ( in German) is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of German war graves in Europe and North Africa. Its objectives are acquisition, maintenance and care of German war graves; tending to next of kin; youth ...
(Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge).
Image:Menen - Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof 7.jpg,
Image:Menen - Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof 1.jpg,
Image:Menen - Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof 4.jpg,
Image:Menen - Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof 5.jpg,
Image:Menen - Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof 3.jpg,
References
External links
*
Duitse Militaire Begraafplaats Menen 1914–1918
{{DEFAULTSORT:Menen German War Cemetery
World War I memorials in Belgium
World War I cemeteries in Belgium
German War Graves Commission