Ehren Friedhof Duisburg Germany

Posted on by Thor

I got lost looking for this cemetery and a German woman offered help. I was pleased that I understood her directions that involved pointing and military style hand gestures and was able to thank her in German.

I decided I had to do a sketch that showed some of the hundreds of German soldier headstones in the Ehren Friedhof cemetery in Duisburg Germany. There were three designs of headstone, the stout German cross, a classic tall arch and stones lying flat on the ground. I was again attracted to a sculpture near the entrance to the cemetery. This is a common area where people walk their dogs. I don’t know if they pick up the poop, but I assume so. Dogs are startled to see someone sitting in the cemetery sketching, so they bark frantically but eventually come up to me for a few pets.

The statue is titled Sitzender Jungling (Sitting Youth)  by Von Wilhelm Lehmbruck (1881-1919). The original sculpture is in the Lehmbruck Museum (Friedrich-Wilhelm-Strasse 40 47051 Duisburg, Germany). It was recast at the suggestion of the citizens of Duisburg in 2021 for this site.

Tens of thousands of soldiers from the Ruhr area of Germany died in World War II. Estimates are that about 4.2 million German military and civilian deaths occurred in the war with significant losses concentrated in battles that occurred in the Ruhr Pocket. Duisburg was a primary target for Allied bombing raids resulting in heavy civilian losses.

There was a third statue in the cemetery that was a monument to the German 193rd Infantry Regiment. It was erected in 1933. The statue was considered inappropriate by many as it had an inscription that glorified war and nationalism. It was destroyed in 2015.

 

 

March 26, 1945: Duisburg Germany

Posted on by Thor


My notes showed that the 75th Infantry Division was in Duisburg Germany on March 26, 1945. It is 22 miles south of the front lines up at Hunxe Germany. Duisburg is a much larger city than the smaller town the troops were moving through up near the Lippe River and canal. Now that I am sitting down and doing more research, I think that I made a mistake. German troops still had control of Duisburg Germany on March 26. Duisburg is on the Rhine River and now I think that in my early research I must have read that Duisburg was an objective after the Rhine crossings but it is much further south than where the 75th a infantry troops crossed the river. The 75th was assigned to the XVI Corps during OPERATION PLUNDER. I realize now that the XIX Corps would have overtaken Duisburg. That is the advantage of actually traveling to the place. Such mistakes become obvious with boots on the ground.

When in Duisburg I decided to sketch in the Ehren Friedhof German Military Cemetery in Kriesarberg Park . I focused my attention on this statue of a half naked German soldier unsheathing his sword. The sexual innuendo is pretty obvious. There were hundreds of headstones for World War II soldiers but I preferred to focus on how sexy it is to die for your country.The statue is considered controversial by some Germans because it is unclear weather the soldier is unscheathing the sword or putting it away.

Duisburg is considered by some historians to have been the most heavily bombed city by the allies during WWII, with more than 80% of the city buildings destroyed. Between 1939 and 1945 the Royal Air Force flew 299 sorties dropping bombs on Duisburg.  Being in the heart of the Ruhr Industrial area and on the Rhine River, made the city vital for German war production and logistics. The city is also a hub for railroad traffic which I noticed as I hiked into the city center. The city was the location of many chemical, steel and iron industries. To stop the German war effort, the Ruhr had to be defeated. As a major port and industrial center, Duisburg was a crucial target for capture after the initial Rhine River crossings. 

The 79th Infantry Division rather than the 75th Infantry Division played a key role in clearing Duisburg during the final push into Germany in April 1945, crossing the Rhine near the city and participating in the Ruhr Pocket battles alongside other units like the 95th Infantry Division and 8th Armored Division, with elements securing the suburb of Bruckhausen before the main city fell. 

Taking the heavily damaged city of Duisburg meant that the Allies had broken the back of the German resistance and were ready to drive into the heart of Germany.