Ever wondered why a park in Lüneburg carries a French name? I will tell you all about Clamart-Park.
The Clamart-Park is southeast of Lüneburg’s old town. It is named after Lüneburg’s French twin town, Clamart. The park provides a transition to the Rotes Feld district.
In 1874, the Rote Wall was removed. It was located southeast of the old town. The Clamart-Park was then created there.
The Clamart-Park stretches between Haagestrasse and Friedenstrasse. A wedge-shaped section extends to the Ilmenau river. The old Johanneum building is on the northern side of the park. Since 1978, it has housed the Hauptschule Mitte. Since 2014, it is the Oberschule am Wasserturm.
Within the Clamart-Park, you can find three Friedenseichen, or peace oaks. You will also see two war memorials. The park officially received the name Clamart-Park in 1985.
One memorial commemorates soldiers from Lüneburg. They died in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 to 1871. The sculptor Engelbert Peiffer from Hamburg created the memorial in 1875. It was moved twice within the park.
The memorial features a high sandstone base. On top is a sculpture group. The group resembles a Pietà. It is also known as “Mother Lüneburg”. Bronze plaques adorn the four sides of the base. They display trophies and the names of the fallen. The front bears the inscription: “The city of Lüneburg to its sons fallen for the Fatherland”.
The other memorial honors those who fell in World War I. It is an equestrian statue. It was erected in 1939 for the Second Hanoverian Dragoon Regiment No. 16. Emil Cauer the Younger from Berlin was the sculptor.
A bronze equestrian statue stands on a stone base. The rider wears a dragoon uniform. He holds a lance in his right hand. The horse is in a trotting pose.
So, as you stroll through Clamart-Park, remember its connection to France. Think about the history held within its memorials. It is a place of peace and remembrance in the heart of Lüneburg.