WWII German War Cemetery Lommel – Kattenbos, Belgium


German War Cemetery Lommel Belgium entrance
The impressive crypt also forms the entrance to German War Cemetery Lommel Belgium

The German War Cemetery in Lommel is the largest WWII German Military Cemetery outside of Germany in Western Europe. The cemetery is the final resting place for a little over 39,100 German fallen soldiers. Most of them fell during WWII and a small part of the 16 acres holds 542 graves from the Great War (WWI) that were formerly buried in a cemetery at Leopoldsburg, Belgium. About 6.000 of the fallen could not be identified. 1.200 of the fallen classify as child soldiers.

German War Cemetery Lommel Belgium
Overview of the German War Cemetery Lommel Belgium. Almost every headstone marks two graves.

The casualties fell during various war campaigns and battles in Western Europe, but the largest number of victims fell during the last two years of the war between late 1944 and 1945, when Germany was losing ground and the fighting was very fierce, like in the Battle for Hürtgen Forest and Aachen or the Battle of the Bulge and the defense of the Remagen bridgehead.

Headstones at German War Cemetery Lommel
Seemingly endless rows of headstones at German War Cemetery Lommel Belgium
Overview German War Cemetery Lommel
Another view of German War Cemetery Lommel, Belgium

Although it is officially not allowed, you will find a lot of German graves have been added with some decoration or reminders by their relatives and loved ones.

Ogefr Herbert Scholz German War Cemetery Lommel
Headstone of Ogefr. Herbert Scholz at German War Cemetery Lommel, Belgium
Fritz Sandmeier German War Cemetery Lommel Belgium
The grave of Fritz Sandmeier decorated with his portrait at German War Cemetery Lommel Belgium

The Crypt

At the entrance of the cemetery you can visit the crypt. The building has an impressive sculpture depicting the crucifixion on top. Inside the crypt are some decorative tiled murals and a sculpture of the fallen soldier.

The crypt German War Cemetery Lommel Belgium
The crypt at German War Cemetery Lommel Belgium
German War Cemetery Lommel Belgium crusifixion
German War Cemetery Lommel Belgium crusifixion sculpture
sculpture of fallen soldier lommel cemetery belgium
The sculpture of the fallen soldier in the crypt at German War Cemetery Lommel
Overview crypt German war cemetery Lommel Belgium
Overview of the crypt at German war Cemetery Lommel Belgium

Visit German War Cemetery Lommel

You can find the cemetery left of the N746 if you follow the road from Lommel to Leopoldsburg. For more information visit http://www.jbs-lommel.de/en/military-cemetery.html


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