Imagine standing where echoes of the First World War linger. This is the Cimetière militaire allemand de Wicres Village. It stands as a solemn testament to a conflict that reshaped the world.
The Cimetière militaire allemand de Wicres Village is located in the Department of the Nord. Wicres is a small village. It is about 8 kilometers north-north-east of La-Bassee. You can find it on the Bethune-Lille road.
The cemetery sits next to the church on the Rue de l’Église. Here, rest 2,824 German war dead from World War I. The Cimetière militaire allemand de Wicres Village was established in September 1915. The preußischen Infanterie Regiment Nr.13 created it. They were remembering those who died fighting between La Bassée and Neuve-Chapelle.
A monument commemorates a tragic day. On September 25, 1915, the regiment lost 210 men in a mine blast. Other regiments stationed nearby also buried their dead here. Later, French authorities extended the cemetery. They reburied German war dead from 12 surrounding areas.
In this Cimetière militaire allemand de Wicres Village, 2,824 German servicemen are buried. They lie in individual graves. 128 of them remain unknown. There is also a grave of a Russian prisoner of war.
The village of Wicres was occupied by German troops. It remained in the combat zone. British troops eventually retook it. The Cimetière militaire allemand de Wicres Village was created to bury soldiers. These soldiers fell during the battles near La Bassée and Arras. More than 900 people were buried here in the second half of 1915. Nearly 1,000 were buried in 1918. This was during the German offensive in May. It also includes the Allied counter-offensives in September.
The Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge took care of the site between the wars. They planted trees. After a Franco-German agreement on war graves, a final plan was developed. In 1979, the gardens were redesigned. The old wooden crosses were replaced. Now, there are natural stone crosses. Each cross is engraved with the name and date of the dead.
The Cimetière militaire allemand de Wicres Village is rectangular. It measures 250 meters long and 150 meters wide. This covers over 3 hectares. It is a place of somber reflection. It reminds us of the human cost of war. The Cimetière militaire allemand de Wicres Village serves as a place to remember.