“Unvergessen” is what the stone says. This word marks the Gedenkstein für Opfer des Hubschrauberabsturzes. Yet, this memorial site seems forgotten.
More than twenty years ago, a tragic helicopter crash took the lives of thirteen people. Most of them were young. This Gedenkstein für Opfer des Hubschrauberabsturzes stands as a reminder. It is a place to remember the worst helicopter accident in Bundeswehr history.
It happened on June 6, 1996. A Bundeswehr helicopter, a Bell UH-D1, crashed here. The helicopter belonged to the Ministry of Defence’s air transport squadron. It had taken off from the Westfalenhallen. The “YOU” youth fair was taking place there. Flights had partly been raffled off. The pilot lost control during risky maneuvers. The helicopter crashed into this wooded area.
If you look closely, you will see the trees behind the Gedenkstein für Opfer des Hubschrauberabsturzes. They are noticeably older than the ones in front. The crash has deeply affected Dortmund. Many still remember what they were doing when they heard the news. Young people were in a festive mood on a beautiful summer day. Then came the inferno. Passersby pulled a 25-year-old from the helicopter before it exploded. His statement later helped clarify the accident. Then began a time of mourning.
About a year later, the Bundesverband der Steinmetze donated the Gedenkstein für Opfer des Hubschrauberabsturzes. Back then, small rhododendron bushes stood behind the stele. Stone slabs led to the stone. The dedication took place privately. Hans Semmler, Hombruch’s district administrator, was present. He remembers it as an “extremely moving moment”. The then mayor, Günther Samtlebe, also attended.
The Bundeswehr paid 40,000 D-Mark for each victim. They promised to maintain the memorial. The stone was placed on a farmer’s land. But it seems the Bundeswehr did not have to care for it in the early years. A couple who lost a child in the accident tended to the memorial almost weekly.
The Bundeswehr may have stopped caring for the site. This may have been because the upkeep was ensured. But then the care stopped. No one felt responsible anymore.
The Gedenkstein für Opfer des Hubschrauberabsturzes stands in the woods. It is overgrown. No one at the Bundeswehr could provide information. It is unclear if a sergeant could have said anything about an event twenty years prior. Hans Semmler said that they all have to take responsibility for the site’s neglect. He often thought about the place and wondered what it looked like. But he could not visit the place alone.
The Bundeswehr reacted to the reports and promised to care for the Gedenkstein für Opfer des Hubschrauberabsturzes. They pledged to restore it. A spokesperson from Düsseldorf said they take it very seriously and will take care of it soon.
Little had changed at the overgrown Gedenkstein für Opfer des Hubschrauberabsturzes. It commemorates the 1996 helicopter crash with thirteen deaths. The Bundeswehr had promised to take care of the site. Only some weeds were removed. A small arrangement was placed. The Bundeswehr in Düsseldorf knew nothing of any recent maintenance.
The Bundeswehr today is not the same as in 1996. Responsibilities had to be clarified. The Bundeswehr wants a long-term solution and wants to implement it as soon as possible.
The helicopter that crashed was from the Ministry of Defence’s air transport squadron. Risky maneuvers by the pilot caused the catastrophe. The victims were mostly young people. The helicopter had taken off from the “You” youth fair. Flight places were partly raffled off.
Relatives helped design the Gedenkstein für Opfer des Hubschrauberabsturzes. They also designed the memorial site. For example, they planted the rhododendrons. The Bundeswehr had promised to maintain the site. They kept this promise for several years.
But that stopped at some point. Some relatives were no longer able to maintain the site. Nature gradually took over. District Mayor Hans Semmler finds this unacceptable. He wants to establish an annual commemoration on the day of the crash.
The Bundeswehr stopped maintaining the Gedenkstein für Opfer des Hubschrauberabsturzes. In 2012, a woman claiming to own the land told the soldiers to leave. They never returned. The landowner allowed the memorial to be built in 1996. The Bundeswehr wants to restore the memorial as soon as possible.
The district council is relieved that the dispute over the care seems to be resolved. A memorial service is planned. The 13 victims were between 18 and 48 years old. One man survived the crash. The passengers had partly won the flight. The pilot was experienced. His name is also on the Gedenkstein für Opfer des Hubschrauberabsturzes. Since the crash, Bundeswehr pilots are prohibited from risky maneuvers during public flights.