“Den Dresdner Jägern 1914-1918” The words etched into the stone seem to whisper a story. A story of sacrifice and loss. This is the Denkmal für Gefallene des Ersten Weltkriegs. It stands as a somber reminder of the Dresden Jägers. The brave soldiers who fought in the First World War.
This memorial wasn’t always here in its present form. It originally stood near the Sachsenplatz. That’s where the Jägerkaserne once stood. A magnificent building housing the Royal Saxon 2nd Jäger Battalion No 13. These were the men who marched off to war. Many would never return. The casualty figures were staggering. Sixty-one officers. Two thousand nine hundred and twenty-four NCOs and Jägers were reported as killed or missing.
Following the war veterans’ and military associations worked tirelessly. They raised funds for a memorial. They commissioned Dresden sculptor Georg Wrba. He created a powerful relief. Three massive sandstone slabs each weighing 80 centners. The relief depicted a stark scene of soldiers charging into battle. A figure representing death blows a horn. Wrba’s work was not just a commemoration. It was a critical reflection on the war. It was meant to stir emotion and reflection. The inscription mourned their passing. It asked for remembrance.
The memorial survived the devastating bombing of Dresden in World War II. Ironically spared while the Jägerkaserne was destroyed. However its fate was sealed. The post-war authorities deemed it militaristic. It was ordered to be removed. On June 20 1947 the Denkmal für Gefallene des Ersten Weltkriegs was destroyed. Some say the relief slabs were buried. But today only the inscription remains a ghostly echo of those lost. A potent reminder of the cost of war. A stark monument to those who fell in the Great War. Their sacrifice is not forgotten.