Envision ten young soldiers. They lie buried here at Ehrenfriedhof Gasselstiege. This small cemetery at Steinfurter Strasse 128b holds their graves. Since January 6, 1993, it has been a protected memorial in Muenster’s list of monuments.
Let me tell you about the Ehrenfriedhof Gasselstiege. It marks a poignant moment in Muenster’s history. As World War II neared its end in March 1945, British and US troops advanced into the Muensterland. On April 2, 1945, Allied tanks approached Muenster’s city center. Soldiers hidden in trenches near Hof Grosse-Judefeld fired upon them. A captain led these soldiers.
Ten of these soldiers died in the fighting. Among them were a 17-year-old and two 18-year-olds. That evening, American and British troops entered Muenster. Theodor Holtmann and a neighbor found the fallen soldiers. They wrapped them in tent canvas. Pastor P. Franz Rensing from the Dreifaltigkeitskirche blessed the ground. The soldiers were buried in the shadow of the farmstead cross.
The Ehrenfriedhof Gasselstiege land was gifted to Muenster in 1961. Since 1963, the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge cares for the site.
The last battles of the war took place here. The ten German soldiers, some just 18, died on April 2nd and 3rd, 1945. This was just before Muenster’s surrender. They were buried at the Holtmann family’s wayside cross from 1884. The family maintained the graves until 1961 when they gave it to the city. In 1962, the city decided to preserve the Ehrenfriedhof.
The sandstone crosses bear names and dates. You can see the names: Georg Arnold, Leonard Bezold, Christian Brings, Heinz Happe, Kurt Hielscher, Heinz Kottmann, Matthias Lindemann, Matthias Müller, Karl Schneider, and Georg Wachtel.
The German War Graves Act ensures the preservation of these graves. It commemorates the victims of war and tyranny. It reminds future generations of war’s terrible consequences. The Holtmann family voluntarily maintained the graves until 1960. Then, Muenster City Council took over.
The Ehrenfriedhof Gasselstiege stands as a reminder. It is a reminder of the human cost of conflict. It is a place for reflection on the past.