Cemetery section for First and Second World War dead in the Park Cemetery in Essen

Pictures and text by Mark R. Hatlie

These pictures were taken on 10 June, 2007 in the Parkfriedhof in Essen.

	The graves from the world wars are arrayed in along a lane from the main entrance.
	The central stone reads, "What these crosses tell. They tell of soldier's death, of combat and suffering and of overcoming life which now rests in God." (Was diese Kreuze künden. Sie künden vom Soldatentod, von Kampf und Not und überwinden vom Leben, das nun ruht in Gott.)
	The graves along the sides are typical German war graves with name and dates of birth and death.
	Those in the center face the entrance.
	The graves include men and women and civilians. All total, there are 86 German soldiers and 1,502 civilians (mostly the victims of Allied bombing) buried here in this complex.
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	At the end of the long axis it opens into a wide field where the graves are arranged in a several concentric semicircles.
	An information sign informs the visitor about the fate of Essen during the war and how many people of various types (soldiers, civilians, various nationalities) are buried in the various plots around Essen.
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