War Memorial in Cemetery at Heidelberg/Kirchheim
Pictures and text by Mark R. Hatlie
These pictures were taken on January 18th, 2006 in the cemetery in Kirchheim, a part of Heidelberg a little bit outside of town, not far from the American community at Patrick Henry Village.
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This ensemble is not located in the center of the cemetery, nor near the entrance as is typically the case in these small towns. It includes a statue of three women as a centerpiece, crosses for the Franco-Prussian and world wars, and, out in front, a memorial to school classmates who died in battle. |
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The green wreath is from the Association of German War Victims, the gold/black wreath from the city of Heidelberg, the office of the mayor (in the feminine form, indicating that it is not something that the city bought recently), the blue/white wreath reads, In silent remembrance / City Association Kirchheim (Im stillen Gedenken / Stadtverein Kirchheim). |
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Out in front of the ensemble is this memorial. It reads, For our schoolmates who died (Unseren verstorbenen Schulkameraden). The wreath reads, In Remembrance / Class of 1945/1946 (Im Gedenken / Jahrgang 1945/1945). |
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This shot shows the candle or torch holders which flank the ensemble. It would have been good to get a shot of them lit. |
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The statue shows three mourning women. The words along the base read, War Eternal Suffering (Krieg ewig Leid). The women seem a bit like Biblical figures, perhaps Mary and the other women mourning at the cross. |
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The last three photos are close ups of the three crosses, one for each war. This ensemble must have been built after 1945, but it includes the Franco-Prussian War (shown here), an event more than 70 years past. Perhaps there were elderly people who had lost a father in that war or an earlier memorial to that war was removed and this cross included as a replacement. |
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1914-1918 |
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1939-1945 |
