Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof Langemarck

The Soldatenfriedhof in Langemark is one of the four large German cemeteries that still exist in Belgium. Originally, there were many more, but in 1955 the decision was taken to concentrate the remaining 68 burial grounds into just four large sites, one of which was at Langemarck. The mass 'kameraden' grave near the entrance - scarcely larger than a tennis court - contains the remains of 24,917 German soldiers, 7,575 of whom are unknown. In total, no fewer than 44,304 casualties are buried in this cemetery. The sculpture group at the back of the burial area is by Emil Krieger, who was inspired by a photograph of a group of Germany soldiers at the burial of one of their comrades.

In Germany, the name 'Langemark' became synonymous with the First World War in much the same way that the name 'Passendale' did in Great Britain. They are both symbols of tragic loss. Between 21 and 24 October 1914, inexperienced units of reservists, cadets, students and final year schoolboys charged repeatedly against positions occupied by the hardened troops of the British Expeditionary Force and the French Army. The German formations advanced through the mist singing the 'Deutschland' song (that would later become the national anthem). They were mown down in their thousands. Some estimates even talk of 25,000 dead. For this reason, the cemetery is also sometimes referred to the Studentenfriedhof - the Students' Cemetery. The worst of the fighting was actually at Bikschote, not Langemark - but Langemark is easier to say in German, so that the battle became known by that name.

‘Langemark’ also later became a propaganda tool used by Hitler and the Nazi's, who compared it to the Massacre of the Innocents by King Herod in the Bible. This was supposed to inspire others to make similar sacrifices for the Fatherland. In the 1930s the names of numerous streets in Germany were changed to Langemarkstrasse and the Langemark Hall was one of the main pavilions during the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Hitler also visited the cemetery during the Second World War. Although he never fought here, a Nazi propaganda film hailed him as A 'Hero of Langemark'

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