Ehrenstaette Prinzenkopf War Cemetery in Alf / Mosel
Pictures and text by Mark R. Hatlie
These pictures were taken on July 3, 2005, in Alf the middle Mosel River on the hill above the town. The cemetery, called Ehrenstaette Prinzenkopf (Place of Honor Prinzenkopf - Prinzenkopf probably being the name of the hill), is located high above the river with a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside. The hill on the same side of the river, visible to the right of the cross on two of the photos, is the narrowest isthmus on the Mosel river.
There are several dozen graves here, many dating from March, 1945, but some earlier. They are probably not locals, but those killed locally or who died nearby of wounds suffered elsewhere. The gravesite is well cared for and is typical for those set up by the Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, an organization which has been caring for German soldiers' graves since the 1920s. The crosses are in the same style seen all over Europe and they are arranged in rows much like in other German buriel sites.
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This is the entryway into the cemetery. |
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Some of the graves are still attended, as evidenced by the flowers and candles. |
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Another view of a candle and flowers. |
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The rows of simple cement crosses are typical for German military cemeteries. |
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Each cross bears one name. Traditionally, German cemetery crosses used to have two names each. |
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A spectacular view of the Mosel bend... |
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...and vinyards. This is not far from the Black Cat (Schwarze Katz') winegrowing area. |
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An unknown soldier, killed in March of 1945. |
