Why are there thirty names on this memorial when no one is buried here? You are standing before the Gedenkstätte Esten. This memorial on the Vorwerker Friedhof in Lübeck is dedicated to Estonians who died in exile after World War II. The memorial itself is a tombstone-like structure with lying plates. It was designed by Estonian architects Richard Wunderlich and Roman Koolmar. They were living as displaced persons in the DP camp Poppendorf.
The Gedenkstätte Esten was financed by the Estonian community in 1947. The front side displays the year 1947, embracing the coat of arms of the former Baltic republic. The three striding leopards look directly at the observer. Below the coat of arms are the names of over thirty Estonians. The inscription “Schleswig-Holsteinis maetud eestlased” translates to “Estonians buried in Schleswig-Holstein”. Underneath a German inscription reads “Fern der Heimat ruhen hier Esten” (“Far from home, Estonians rest here”). This inscription is actually incorrect. According to the cemetery administration, no one is actually buried here. The surrounding area is also too small to accommodate thirty burials. It remains a memorial, a symbolic resting place for Estonians far from their homeland.