Cemetery section for the dead from the Second World War in the main cemetery in Dortmund

Pictures and text by Mark R. Hatlie

These pictures were taken on 8 June, 2007 in the main cemetery (Hauptfriedhof) in Dortmund. This section is a long, narrow axis going through the middle of the cemetery. There are a total of 3,249 German dead from both world wars buried here. They include soldiers and civilian victims. Dortmund was bombed 176 times from 1940 to 1945.

	These rounded markers near the entrance to the cemetery might be from the First World War. They have no dates on them. All the other markers I saw, the crosses, had dates from the Second World War.
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	Rosamarie (born 1938) and Wilma (born 1941) Kwictek both died in 1943. Perhaps they died in one of the two heavy raids in May of that year.
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	The information sign explains the history of the city during the war and points the way to war-related sites in the cemetery.
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	This section of graves is on one side of the long, central axis.
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	Eventually the central column comes into view.
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	The column has a permanent wreath lying in front of it.
	The copper picture shows a phoenix rising in sunlight from a ruined and burning city. The text reads, "Our sacrifice is your obligation. Peace.." (Unser Opfer ist eure Verpflichtung. Frieden.) The script is hard to read, but the artist's name would appear to be H. Bayer.
	This is the view looking back past all the war graves toward the cemetery entrance.
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