Deeply etched in stone are names of loss. This is the Gefallene des Ersten Weltkrieges War memorial. It stands as a poignant reminder of a community’s sacrifice.
Let’s delve into the story behind this solemn place. The Gefallene des Ersten Weltkrieges War memorial is in Frankfurt am Main. It commemorates the 1,200 soldiers from Bockenheim who died in World War I. Bockenheim is a western district of Frankfurt.
In 1925, the memorial was erected on Rohmerplatz. This location is in a green space south of Leipziger Straße. The Kriegerverein Bockenheim, a veterans association, commissioned the Gefallene des Ersten Weltkrieges War memorial. It was to mark its 50th anniversary. Grateful residents of Bockenheim funded it.
Oskar Ufert created the sculpture. He was a Frankfurt sculptor and member of the Frankfurter Künstlergesellschaft. The Gefallene des Ersten Weltkrieges War memorial depicts a kneeling warrior. With his left hand, he supports a shield on the ground.
Across the front of the base, you can read a sobering inscription. It says: “In memory of the 1914–1918 Bockenheim heroes. They died on the field of honor for the fatherland.” The inscription honors 1,200 brave souls.
On the back of the base, another inscription tells of its creation. It reads: “Erected by the Kriegerverein Bockenheim on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. Donated by the grateful residents of Bockenheim.”
The Kriegerverein Bockenheim was founded in 1875. This was a time when such associations were popping up all over the German Empire. In its founding year, the association erected a war memorial. It honored three Bockenheim citizens. These men had fallen in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. This earlier Gefallene des Ersten Weltkrieges War memorial was on the cemetery at Rödelheimer Sandweg. Today, that location is the Old Cemetery Bockenheim. Its street was renamed Solmsstrasse.
The Kriegerverein Bockenheim became part of the Kyffhäuserbund. This was one of the most popular associations in the German Empire. By 1913, it boasted 2.8 million members. Each year on Volkstrauertag, a day of national mourning, the city of Frankfurt lays a wreath here at the Gefallene des Ersten Weltkrieges War memorial.
Though smaller in scale, the Gefallene des Ersten Weltkrieges War memorial echoes the Hauptfriedhof’s larger memorials. The Hauptfriedhof contains the graves of almost 6,700 people. These individuals were victims of both World Wars and Nazi tyranny. The central memorial there features a sculpture of a fallen warrior. This sculpture is inside a round building built in 1928.
The Gefallene des Ersten Weltkrieges War memorial is a testament. It is a testament to loss, remembrance, and the enduring impact of war on a community. It serves as a local reminder. It is a reminder of the human cost of conflict. The quiet warrior kneels eternally. He embodies grief and resilience in the face of immense tragedy.