This burial complex has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since September 2023.
Cemetery Description
The German war cemetery is located in the province of West Flanders. Since October 2023, it has been one of 24 World Heritage Sites managed by the Volksbund. The coastal city of Ostend is about 20 kilometers away. The registers of names are on display in the entrance building. The names of the fallen are also inscribed on horizontal granite slabs. From the entrance, visitors can take in a view of the entire length of the park-like grounds.
Background
Four major battles raged in Flanders during World War I. The Vladslo Cemetery was established by German troops while the war was still ongoing. More than 25,600 fallen soldiers are buried there.
History
To ensure the long-term preservation of the many war graves in the northern part of the province of West Flanders, smaller and remote cemeteries were closed starting in 1956, and the remains were reinterred in Vladslo. Other German military cemeteries in West Flanders include Langemark, Menen, and Hooglede.
In 2015, the war cemetery underwent a complete renovation. The Flemish government covered half of the costs. Paths and open areas were restored, and the grave markers were re-laid. Drainage was installed in the grassy areas. The entrance building was also renovated.
Special Feature
The sculpture “Mourning Parents” was dedicated by the artist Käthe Kollwitz to her son Peter, who was killed in Flanders in October 1914. The two figures, carved from Belgian granite, kneel on stone pedestals. They bear the facial features of the artist and her husband Karl.
The son was initially buried at the German military cemetery in Esen-Roggeveld, where the two figures originally stood. In 1956, he was reinterred at the Vladslo War Cemetery. A full-scale replica of the sculpture has stood at the German war cemetery in Rshew, Russia, since September 2014. Käthe Kollwitz’s grandson is buried there. His name was also Peter, and he died as a soldier in World War II.
In September 2023, UNESCO designated 139 World War I cemeteries as World Heritage Sites. Twenty-three German cemeteries are maintained by the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V. — Vladslo is one of them.
