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German Military Cemeteries Italy Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V. Reconciliation about the graves Work for peace

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Page 1: Italy - Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V. · PDF fileItaly Volksbund Deutsche ... After the landing of the allied forces, the battle of Cassino started in ... for the

German Military Cemeteries

ItalyVolksbund DeutscheKriegsgräberfürsorge e. V.

Reconciliation about the gravesWork for peace

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1st World War

Having initially formed an alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary called the Triple Alliance, Italy formed an alliance with theEntente on 26th April 1915 and declared war on Austria-Hungary onemonth later. Since its divisions were committed to the East, theLandsturm and Standschützen first of all took over the defence of thesouthern frontiers. Germany sent the Alpenkorps which had been quickly made up from crack troops. An unbelievable war in the highmountains developed and not only was man his own enemy, but alsonature. Avalanches and pieces of rock often claimed more victims thanthe battles. The highest position was on the Ortler at a height of morethan 3,900 meters. The Alpenkorps and other German divisions alsoplayed a decisive role in the Austrian Offensive at the Isonzo on 24thOctober 1917. After the conclusion of a German-Italian war gravesagreement in the year 1937 more than 16,000 German war victimshave found their final resting place at the War Graves Commission inTolmin at the Isonzo (today Slovenia), Quero at Piave, Feltre as wellas in Bozen, Brixen and in Bruneck. These were set up by the

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Volksbund and opened to the public in 1939. The military cemetery onthe Pordoijoch in the Dolomites was only finished after the 2nd WorldWar. Also those killed in action during the wartime period of 1940 –1945 have found their resting place there. Victims of the Austrian-Hungarian army were also buried at the described cemeteries of the1st World War.

2nd World War

In the year 1940 Italy entered war at the side of the “DeutschesReich”. After the end of the battles on African territory, the allied forceslanded on Sicily on 10th July 1943. Italy capitulated on 8th September.German countermeasures were started and Italy became a war zone.After soldiers of the 8th British army had landed near Termoli (Adria)on 3rd October, Italy finally declared war on Germany on 13th October.After the landing of the allied forces, the battle of Cassino started inthe middle of January 1944 and lasted until the middle of May. On 4thJune Rome was evacuated and on 4th August the allied forces occu-pied Florence and reached the Po at the end of April 1945. On 2ndMay 1945 the German forces capitulated in Italy. A large part of theGerman prisoners of war was arrested in the “Enclave Rimini”. Thefirst German graves service was established here. It was incorporatedinto the Italian Ministry of Defence later. Since 1947 the Italian govern-ment and the Volksbund have worked closely together concerning theregistration of war victims and their graves. In the time after the foun-dation of the Federal Republic of Ger many the financing was alsotaken over by it. However, after the conclusion of the German-Italianwar graves agreement of 22nd December 1955, the Volksbund tookover the former working team of Rimini as part of its moving service.

Warning for peace

The war gravesites of all nations are not only places of memory andremembrance. Today they are a starting point for understanding,reconciliation and friendship for the people of formerly hostile coun-tries. The graves urge peace.

If you walk through the burial rows you become aware that a lifestory stands behind every name. Therefore we have arbitrarily underli-ned one fate at the different cemeteries. If stones could speak … theycould tell us about thousands and thousands of fates.

The Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V. is a private as -sociation. Acting on behalf of the Federal Government, it is responsiblefor the maintenance and care of German war graves all over the world.90% is financed by membership fees and donations. Help us too!

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Bolzano – St. Jakob

The military cemetery “St. Ja -cob” is located in the south ofBolzano. With 100,000 inhabi-tants, it is the capital of the auto-nomous province of Bolzano.Together with Trient it is called the“Trentino Alto – Adige” region(Trient-Oberetsch or Trient/SouthTyrol). Alongside 1,734 Austrian-Hungarian victims of the 1st WorldWar, 174 victims of the 2nd World

War also rest here. Following the expansion of the burial ground in theyears 1941 – 1943 they were moved by the official German grave ser-vice. On the burial ground there is a column with a sculpture of “St.George fighting against the dragon”. The Military Veterans Associationin Bolzano looks after the ground on behalf of the Volksbund.

Brixen

The cemetery of Brixen, locatedapproximately one kilometre to thenorth of the city, was founded bythe former k. and k. troops in theyear 1915. Alongside 1,229 Au -strian-Hungarian 1st World Warvictims, there are 506 German warvictims, 106 of them from the 2ndWorld War. Their names areengraved on crosses of naturalstone. A symbolic sarcophagus of

stone and a chapel in Tyrolean style which was donated by a relativein memory of his brother, who fell in Galicia, are the centre of thecemetery. The association for the maintenance of the German andAustrian-Hungarian war cemetery looks after it.

Bruneck

At Pustertal, approx. 35 kilome-tres to the east of Brixen on road49, 677 Austrian-Hungarian vic-tims of the 1st World War restalongside 19 German victims ofthe 2nd World War in a smallforest cemetery. The cemeterywas opened to the public on 20thSeptember 1959. The women’scommittee of the South Tyroleanblack cross is responsible for themaintenance of the cemetery.

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5Brixen

6Bruneck

5Bolzano

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Cagliari/Sardinia

436 German 2nd World War vic-tims were buried at the municipalcemetery San Michele, directlynear the Italian and British part ofthe cemetery. At first, 190 victimswere buried at the British militarycemetery Pembroke on the Isle ofMalta, however they were movedto the burial ground in San Michelein 1960. The burial ground of 1,500square metres, which is divided

into four grave beds, is surrounded by a low hedge of Pittosporum.Both sides of the grave crosses of travertine bear the names, ranksand life data of two dead soldiers respectively. On 3rd June 1961 thecemetery was opened to the public.

If stonescouldspeak ….

Cagliari/Sardinia: One of 436 dead

Serious illnessFriedrich Graf Basselet de la Rosée, born on 24thJune 1919, was first lieutenant of the 1st mountaininfantry division. He was stationed near to the village of Olbia on Sardinia. On 1st June 1943 hedied as a result of a serious infection and he wasburied in the local cemetery. All German soldiersburied here during the war were moved to the collective cemetery at Cagliari.

Block 1, grave 187

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Cassino

The German war cemetery islocated approx. three kilometres tothe north of the city Cassino in thevillage of Caira. Mainly Germansoldiers who died in hard battlesfor the Monte-Cassino massif inthe year 1944 in Southern Italyhave found their resting placethere. He who stands in front ofthe high mountain with the rebuiltmonastery and looks over theplain and the mountains around should know that people from manydifferent countries fought hard battles here: Germans, Americans,Englishmen, Frenchmen, Canadians, Poles, Italians, people from NewZealand and Indians. Their graves are a reminder of the horrors ofwar. The German war cemetery was established by the Volksbundfrom 1959 – 1964 and was opened to the public on 4th May 1965.20,100 war victims have found their final resting place here.

A broad path uphill leads to the entrance building. The daylight falls

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through a triangle, which opens up to the sky, onto a sculpture: “Griefand consolation”. Crosses of travertine bear the names, ranks and lifedata of three dead soldiers respectively on both sides. This cemeteryis characterized by cypresses and pines and the separation of theburial ground, planted with St. John´s wort, into five arched, upwardrising terraces. On the mountain top there is an eleven metres highcross of forging bronze. Behind it there are the companions’ graves.Big stone slabs bear the name of those companions who rest herewith certainty.

Costermano

Cassino: One of 20,100 dead

Terrible premonitionHelmut Wiesjahn, born on 4th June 1911, wasa preacher in Halbe/Brandenburg until his cons-cription in the year 1943. His last letter from thefront showed his premonition. He advised hisfamily exactly what to do if they were draggedinto war. In early 1945 this premonition wasconfirmed during the battles for the basin ofHalbe. Wiesjahn wrote this letter on 5thSeptember 1943; on 9th September his battery was attak-ked by low-flying planes near Civicilla during the retreat.Although he hid under a truck he was killed by a shot inthe head.Block 8, grave 889

If stonescouldspeak ….

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The German military cemeteryis located on a small ridge to thesouth of the village Costermano.The ground drops steeply towardsthe Lake Garda and runs into flatdownhill terraces in the East.

From the ridge with its old cy -presses you have a broad view ofthe landscape: The tops of theAlps in the north, the wine moun-tains surrounded by cypresses inthe east and the south, LakeGarda in the West. The visitorwalks through the open hall of the entrance building and a big gatecasted of bronze over a broad flight of stairs to a small terrace. Fromthis place he can see nearly the whole cemetery. On the three terra-ced burial grounds, planted with Erica darlayensis, the positions of thedifferent graves are marked by slabs of stone. They bear the names oftwo dead soldiers respectively. Over a flight of outside steps you reachthe companion´s grave located at the upper burial grounds. Here is thecentral monument, a building with a room over the tomb of those sol-diers which were tied together inseparably by death.

In front of the companion’s grave a young man kneels down, a veryimpressive bronze statue. In a smaller side room which can be

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Costermano: One of 22,000 dead

Joint fatesTwo young men – a German and an Italian –were born on the same day: 19th December,1921. One of them, Kurt Richter, was born inLeipzig and the other one, Domenico Tasca, inNove, Italy. The 2nd World War tragicallybrought their fates together on 29th April 1945.The 24 year old Kurt Richter was seriously inju-red during battles at the Brenta river. DomenicoTasco was seriously injured in his stomach byfragments of a hand grenade whilst defending his home vil-lage. Both young men lay next to each other in hospital.Domenico´s mother discovered the German boy who wasborn on the same day as her son. She could only try tocomfort them and treated them like brothers. Both boysdied and she closed their eyes. In memory of this occurren-ce a memorial stone was erected on the former battle field.Kurt Richter was buried in the military cemetery ofCostermano.

Block 2, grave 634

reached from the memorial room, eight name books of metal lay onthe desk of stone, in which all the dead of this cemetery are listed.

Halfway to the surface of the summit there is a small building, whichcan be used as a vestry at church celebrations. At the covered frontside there is a map of ceramics from Northern Italy, which contains thenames of the provinces in which the dead who rest here were initiallyburied. At the highest point of the cemetery – visible from far away –an eight metre high steel cross and a stone altar can be found.

If stonescouldspeak ….

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Feltre

The military cemetery is locatedon the road Trient – Primolano –Belluno, 30 kilometres away fromthe province capital Belluno, in thecity of Feltre.

The city in the region of thecentral Piave was an importantplace behind the front, when,during the last months of the year1917, the German and Austrianoffensive at the Piave and in theregion of the embattled Monte Grappa and Monte Tomba came to astop. There were a lot of hospitals. German war victims were buriednot only in Feltre, but also in many neighbouring villages. All these wargravesites and scattered graves remained open and the remains weremoved to Quero. Only the small military cemetery Feltre by the nameof “San Paolo”, named after the near church of the 16th century withthe same name, continued to exist.

The memorial site recovers 271 war victims, also 68 Austrians.Mainly the wonderful landscape has made the war gravesite into avery special place: Hills with country houses and farms, fields of maizeand wine and wooded hills which frame the broad valley. Stone cros-ses of reddish brown porphyry mark the graves in the lawn surface.

Seen from the access way, the entrance building of limestone issituated on a low embankment. A small arbour of stone, attached tothe entrance building, contains a plate with the names of the dead whorest here.

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Futa-Pass

The German military cemeterywith more than 30,800 2nd WorldWar victims, is located on a hilltop,40 kilometres to the north of Florence,directly at the Futa-Pass (952 metreshigh). Down below on the motor-way tourists flock south-bound. Ifyou drive on the motorway comingfrom the north, leave the motorwayat the exit Pian del Voglio (no. 16).You only drive ten kilometres until

you reach the cemetery. Coming from the south use the exit Barberino.At that time, it was difficult to find a place for the planned cemetery

in the middle of a former battle field, until this dominating height waschosen. The Futa-Pass was one of the most important military basesof the “Green Line”, which was established in the year 1944.

It was also called “Gothic Line”. The advance of the allied forces tothe north was meant to be prevented. Most of the war victims buried inthis cemetery were victims of the British and American offensivesagainst German front lines between Carrar at the Ligurian Sea and theregion around Rimini at the Adriatic Sea at the end of August 1944.

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After hard defensi-ve fighting theApennines defencebroke down at theend of April 1945.

From the entran-ce yard you reacha gate. The burialground beginsbehind it. The buil-ding concept baseson the idea of anever ending spiral:A 2,000 metre longwall with a parallelfootpath runs intouphill spirals andencloses the gra-ves of the dead onterraces. It ends ina wall disc risingsteeply into the sky.67 natural stonecrosses rise fromthe wall surface in large intervals. The last spiral of the wall forms amemorial place. The crypt with the companion´s grave is locatedbelow. After moving the dead, the Volksbund erected the memorial sto-nes of the troops, which were still in good condition, in the Cerviaroom beside the crypt in memory of the closed German military ceme-tery at Cervia. The burial ground in terrace form has been divided into72 different big grave blocks. 10,000 lying grave signs of grey granitefor two to four victims respectively mark the graves. It was opened tothe public on 28th June 1969.

Futa-Pass: One of 30,800 dead

Victim of partisansOn 21st April 1945 Oberschütze HeinrichJohann received, together with his company,the order to clear an ammunition depot in thesouth-east of the village S. Giovanni inPersiceto. An air scout of the allied forces for-ced them to take cover. Once the plane haddisappeared the soldiers found out that two oftheir companions had been killed and robbed bypartisans in the meantime. One of them wasHeinrich Johann. Due to the approaching alliedforces the dead could not be buried. Later Heinrich Johannwas moved by the Volksbund to the Futa-Pass as theUnknown Soldier. Only in 1989 could he be identified, dueto a grave investigation application by his grandson.

Block 7, grave 490

If stonescouldspeak ….

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From early May until the end of September the youth meeting placeat the Futa-Pass can be used by school classes and youth groups forproject weeks. The most important task of the project at the Futa-Passis easy maintenance work on the war graves. The young people findhistorical traces and become confronted with the consequences of warand violence. They experience history vividly. This is meant to sensiti-ze young people to violence in daily life and motivate them to supportpeace.

They sleep in simple heatable wooden houses. A stone house with akitchen, dining room and a room for leisure-time activities is available,too. The groups have to organize the catering themselves. A fully-equipped kitchen can be used.

Please call telephone no. 0049-561/7009-114 for further information.

Youth meeting place Futa-Pass

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Meran

In the year 1943 the GermanWehrmacht established the milita-ry cemetery at Meran in order toestablish a gravesite for theGerman soldiers who died in morethan thirty military hospitals. In1956 the Volksbund moved moreGerman war victims and expan-ded the cemetery in the followingyears.

On 13th September 1959 it wasopened to the public. 1,058 German war victims have found their lastresting place here.

The German war gravesite –next to the Austrian-Hungarian mili-tary cemetery of the 1st World Warwith 1,528 war victims – is surroun-ded by a wall of porphyry. Youenter the cemetery walking throughan entrance building in an arcadeconstruction which opens towardsthe cemetery side. The Germanand the Austrian military cemete-ries are connected by a high crosswith a sculpture of St. George, thedragon killer, on the one side andthe relief of a Pieta on the sidewhich points to the Austrian burialground. On the whole burial groundthere are porphyry crosses ingroups of three. Lying name stoneswith two names respectively markthe graves on the lawn.

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Motta – St. Anastasia /Catania

The German war gravesitewhich is located eight kilometresto the west of Catania is locatedover a valley, in the centre of oneof the most beautiful landscapesof Sicily. It is characterized by themassif of the Mount Etna, the hig-hest still active volcano of Europe.

The cemetery was established as a tomb building in whose non-acces-sible basement the sarcophagi of the victims can be found.The movingservice of the Volksbund moved war casualties from all parts of Sicily.4,561 German war casualties have found their final resting place there.

Meran: One of 1,058 dead

Unknown deadIn early May 1945 three soldiers who tried toescape from the advancing allied forces found adead person in civilian clothes at the Brennerpass. The dead man was buried in the munici-pal cemetery Gossensaß in South Tyrol and themen took his personal things away with them.After they returned from American and Russiancaptivity in 1948 they handed over the personalthings to the CID in Augsburg. A retired detecti-ve superintendent tried to find the grave in thecemetery of Gossensaß in 1980. However, he did not succeed. All the dead had been moved to the war gravesiteat Meran in the meantime. The personal data of the“unknown”, who was buried in Meran, was compared andchecked and some years later Paul Savini (grave 792) wasidentified.

If stonescouldspeak ….

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Motta – St. Anastasia: One of 4,561 dead

Every day a gift“…. every day you survived is a day you gain for your life. This feeling is the strongest whenyou return and land from an enemy flight atdawn. You have the impression that the gift oflife has been given to you again.” Franz Blackwrote this to his parents on 4th July 1943. In the night from 6th to 7th July he flew again fromFrosinone to Malta and the Straits of Sicily forscout purposes. The machine was pursued andshot at by night fighter jets and crashed into theLisandro Mountain on the Isle of Marettimo. Thecrew of the Ju 88 was buried by the inhabitants of the isle.In 1965 the Volksbund moved the dead to the war gravesitein Motta – St. Anastasia.

Tomb 1, slab E, grave 78

Over a flight of stairs the visitor reaches the forecourt and then theyard of the companion’s grave. A natural stone slab bears the namesof 28 known and 3 unknown German soldiers, who rest here in onetomb. A further eight stone slabs bear the names of 128 German sol-diers who died in Sicily in the years 1941 – 1944, their graves, howe-ver, could not be found up to now. The centre of this yard is an impres-sive bronze sculpture in the form of a dying young man. From thisplace you can reach four other yards. Slabs of natural stone bear thenames of the war victims. On 25th September 1965 the cemetery wasopened to the public.

If stonescouldspeak ….

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Pomezia

The German military cemeteryis located to the west of the roadLatina – Rome, at the SS 148, theVia Pontina, approx. 26 kilometresto the southeast of Rome. On thehorizon you can see the Mountainsof Albania. In the south you cansee the former battle field ofAprilia and then the coastal plainof the drained Pontine Marshes.

During heavy fighting at thebeachhead of Anzio-Nettuno the Americans established a big militarycemetery for friends and enemies at the northern exit of the city ofNettuno. In early 1947 2,740 German war victims who had beenburied there were moved to Pomezia at the instigation of the Americangrave service, since the ground of Pomezia was more suitable for apermanent war gravesite. In December 1946 the piece of land wasmade available by the Italian state free of charge.

By request and with the supportof the general police station of thattime, 3,751 German war victimscould be recovered from field gra-ves of the former beachhead Anio-Nettuno by the German grave ser-vice. Afterwards they were buriedat Pomezia. In the years 1948 –1955 the Volksbund buried a furt-her 10,704 German war victimshere coming from the municipalcemeteries of the provinces ofRome, Latina, Avellino, Frosinone,L´Aquila, Chieti, Siena and Pistoia.

After the conclusion of theGerman-Italian War GravesAgreement of 22nd December

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Pomezia: One of 27,500 dead

Death in a hole in the groundAs a driver of an assault gun, Horst Kunstmannand his companions are near Ambra on 7th July1944. He died in a fire attack by a piece ofshrapnel in his head, although he took cover ina hole in the ground. His battery buried him in afield grave. Employees of the Volksbund movedhis mortal remains to the military cemetery atPomezia.

Block T, grave 1103

If stonescouldspeak ….

1955, German war victims from the provinces of Ancona, Arezzo,Ascoli, Grosseto, Latina, Livorno, Macerata, Naples, Perugia, Pesaro,Rieti, Rome, Siena, Terni, Viterbo and Reggio di Calabria were alsomoved to the cemetery at Pomezia. Altogether 27,500 German sol-diers have found their final resting place at Pomezia. The expansion ofthe military cemetery was carried out until the end of the fifties accor-ding to the plans of the Site Manage ment of the Volksbund. If youleave the entrance building you follow a straight path with paving sto-nes. You pass the grave fields and reach the central monument, whichwas built over the tomb of the companion’s grave. Four strong columnssupport a canopy, the bottom of which is covered with mosaics. Thecentral column has the form of a sculpture: four huge soldiers and fami-ly members. The grave fields with crosses of natural stone are sur-rounded by groups of pines. The cemetery was opened to the publicon 6th May 1960.

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Pordoi

In the middle of the huge moun-tains of the Dolomites the Volks -bund established a war gravesitefor those killed in action during the hard mountain battles of the1st World War. It is located directlyat the Pordoi pass. Here, at aheight of approx. 2,239 meters,the visitor can see the top of theCol di Lana, only some kilometresaway, and behind it the formerfront area of the Ampezan

Dolomites and in the south the ice of the Marmolata (3,342 m).

The building of the war gravesite Pordoi had already been startedbefore the 2nd World War. The crypt had already been finished by theVolksbund. Inside the crypt 8,582 Austrian and German victims of the1st World War had found their resting place. The 2nd World War stop-ped the building work. In 1956 the work was continued and the victimsof the 2nd World War were buried in ground graves. The building isdivided into three clearly recognizable stages. A wide round wall with adiameter of 54 metres encloses an earth ring with a width of 8.5metres, in which 849 victims of the 2nd World War rest. The secondstage is a more than five metre high round wall with a diameter of 30metres. The third stage is located in its middle: An 8.5 metre high octa-gonal body. At the upper edge of this octagon there are three thin nod-ges on each side which light the inside room as a kind of light frieze.In the middle of the hall, the floor of which consists of porphyry plates,there is a flaming bowl on a platform. On the side walls there are hugefigures of grieving soldiers consisting of muschelkalk. The cemeterywas opened to the public on 19th September 1959.

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Quero

The memorial site Quero islocated on the Col Maor over thePiave Valley and can be seenfrom far away. Due to the interna-tional treaty of 2nd June 1936 inwhich all questions concerning theWar Grave Service Associationwere regulated between the twocountries on the basis of a mutualagreement, the Volksbund esta-blished the war gravesite in Queroin three years. It was opened to the public on 25th May 1939.

At the war gravesite in Quero 3,463 1st World War victims of theGerman and Austrian-Hungarian army have found their resting place.The outward form of the monument of Quero is characteristic for thelandscape. A tower with a flight of small stairs contains a memorialroom for the war victims. A double cordon which connects the tower

Pordoi: One of 9,431 dead

Wounded during a scout patrolSergeant Otto Karl was seriously injured duringa scout patrol on 28th April 1944. On the way tothe hospital at Feltre he was seriously hurt andfinally died. On 29th April he was buried at thecemetery Feltre and he was later moved to themilitary cemetery at Pordoi by employees of theVolksbund.

Grave 660

If stonescouldspeak ….

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Milis / Sardinia

In the municipal cemetery 16German and 30 Italian war victimsrest beside an old listed church ina small collective cemetery. Thesoldiers died during an air attackon the former airfield Milis inJune 1943.

with the bastion by a flat arch from the one side represents a trench.From the other side, the tower and the bastion are connected by astraight wall, which, together with the inside wall of the trench and onepart of the tower encloses the companion’s grave planted withCotoneaster.

If you enter the memorial room you are in a room in the form of abell, which is indirectly lighted by a light well, which penetrates the bellor more exactly the cross-vault at the point of intersection of a reinfor-cing rib. The relatively bright room is dominated by a black stoneblock, a lectern of Swedish granite decorated with ornaments.

Quero: One of 3,463 dead

Monte Tomba/South TyrolEmil Schneider, born on 9th October 1895 inDuisburg, was called up to the German-Medal-Regiment in Allenstein in 1915. He fought in thefighter battalion in South Tyrol.On 22nd November 1917 he died during hardmountain battles at the Monte Tomba. He wasburied in Santa Maria to the north of Quero andwas later moved to Quero.

If stonescouldspeak ….

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Milis / Sardinia: One of 16 dead

In the companion’s graveSaturday, 3rd July 1943, late afternoon:Enemy forces attack the airfield Milis onSardinia. Lieutenant Konrad Jung, born on16th February 1915, successfully fended off thefirst offensive with his anti-aircraft battery. Halfan hour later a second offensive followed andone of the last bombs hit the anti-aircraft posi-tion. Jung died immediately. Together with tenother soldiers he was buried in the companion’sgrave in the cemetery at Milis.

If stonescouldspeak ….

Buried fallenCemetery 1st 2nd

World War World War

Merano 1 058

Passo della Futa 1528 30 800

Feltre 271

Cassino 20 100

Cagliari 436

Brunico 793 19

Bressanone 1 229 106

Bolzano 2 062 174

Milis 16

Costermano 22 000

Pordoi 8 582 849

Quero 3 463

Pomezia 27 500

Motta - St. Anastasia 4 561

Total 17 928 108 091

Memorial site for thesubmarine crew

In the south of Italy, 15 1st WorldWar marine soldiers have foundtheir final resting place at the muni-cipal cemetery of Taranto. It is thecrew of the submarine 12, whichwas sunk in the harbour of Tarantoon 12th March 1916. The commu-nal grave is located directly at theentrance of the municipal cemetery.

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The German War Graves Commission ...

... cares for the German war graves here in France and nearly100 countries all over the world.

... helps the next of kin in finding out about their relatives’ fateand searches for their graves.

... works in the Eastern European countries since 1990 whenthe borders were opened.

... finds the war dead and brings them to central cemeteries.

... advocates through its work understanding and reconciliationwith former enemies.

... leads young people to war graves in order to make themunderstand the terrible conse quences of war such recogni-zing how important it is to work for peace.

... finances its work almost exclusively with contributions of itsmembers and donors and would be very grateful for YOURhelp.

Account: 4300 603, BLZ 500 100 60Postbank Frankfurt/Main, Germany

Banca di Roma, 00040 Pomezia (RM)Agt. 7, Konto Nr. 650880/37, CAB 03002/22005

Hotline for donations: +49 (0) 1805 - 7009 - 01

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Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V.

Werner-Hilpert-Straße 234112 Kassel

Telefon: +49 (0)561 - 7009 - 0Telefax: +49 (0)561 - 7009 - 221Internet: www.volksbund.deE-Mail: [email protected]