Military Cemetery in Heidelberg, Germany
Pictures and text by Michelle Riley
The EhrenFriedhof is located on the top of a hill above Heidelberg, right off the town of Boxberg. I took the pictures on the September 16, 2008. The memorial is dedicated to the soldiers that died in both the First and Second World Wars. I have not been able to find any information as to when it was built.
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This is very beginning of cemetery. It is a long path that seems to lead nowhere. There is the marking stating EhrenFreidhof. |
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The view of the path from the other side. |
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About 2/3rds the way up the gravel path there is a red round building on the left hand side. |
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The doorway where you can see through the other side of the round memorial. |
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On the right side of the entrance is a relief with crosses. |
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On the inside wall there is another relief of a female angel fighting what appears to be a dragon. There are also wreaths from a ceremony. |
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Lining the inside of the circle are about 12 plaques with names. |
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A closer look at the names of the dead. One was etched onto a piece of paper. |
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A close up look at the ribbons on the wreath. |
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The other side of the round building. Which has two metal plates on each side of the exit. |
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The plaque on the right side. |
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The plaque on the left side. |
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Close up on the left plaque. |
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Close up of the statue to the left of the round building. |
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It is multiple languages. |
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Close up of the right plaque. |
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A view of the path leading away from the building. The area is a semi-circle with alternating sections with crosses. |
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A view of the cemetery with more crosses. |
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Another section of the cross cemetery. |
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About 500 meters away the cemetery has a wall with three large crosses (the rest of the crosses are only grouped into twos). |
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A view of how the crosses are aligned with each other in a row. |
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A view of the gravestones that line the floor. These are also in semi circle's leading up to the round structure. |
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A gravestone for an unknown soldier. It is only marked with is date of death. |
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A view of a gravestone for a known soldier with birth and death date. |
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Another plaque for "Our dead comrades." |
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A view from the other side of the cemetery showing the building in relation to the rest of the cemetery. |
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Another shot showing the outside of the memorial |
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A shot of the three crosses |
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The inside upper side of the memorial has etchings on it. (I had to walk back to reach the rest of the cemetery, and I noticed this later). |
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A close up of the lady with the years of the war 1939-1945 |
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A better view of the message with the plaques in the memorial. |
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As you walk back on the path and continue down it you see a large altar like stone in the distance. |
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Lining the vast open area are many smaller altar shaped stones. |
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A view of the "field" as a whole. |
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The stones line the entirety of the field. |
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They also line the walls. |
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A close up the stones reveals they are also etched with dead soldier's names. |
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A close up of one the stones with a view of the vast open space in the background. |
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A shot of the altar which is a memorial as well. |
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Close up of the engraving |
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A view from the end of the memorial, it ends a sharp plateau. |
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A view of the cemetery looking back |
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A view of the crosses that line the field |
