Mariawald Military Cemetery [Heimbach / Rureifel]

In this soldier cemetery, not only innocent victims are buried. German soldiers inflicted unspeakable suffering on the world between 1939 and 1945, and many were committed to it – also raised by their mothers to do so. / The war grave site reminds us of the millions of graves in the war zones around the world. In Ukraine and Russia and elsewhere, parents mourn their fallen sons. We sense that the boundaries between victims and perpetrators often blur. That kindness and humanity, but also irreconcilability and hatred, can be found in every person. Thus, at the end of our journey stands the plea for peace. May the image that Heinrich Fluitter erected here more than 550 years ago make us sensitive to the often human-made suffering of so many. And let us advocate for peace and justice – even where it costs us something.

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