Lommel German war cemetery

Lommel German war cemetery
German War Graves Commission Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge.
Used for those deceased
Established	1946
Location	near  Lommel
Total burials	39,102
Unknowns	6,221
Burials by nation
Imperial Germany, Nazi Germany
Burials by war
World War I, World War II

Lommel German war cemetery is located at Kattenbos in the municipality of Lommel, Belgium. It is the largest German military cemetery in Western Europe outside Germany itself. Established after World War II, the 16 ha cemetery holds 39,102 burials, mainly from World War II.

History

In 1946 and 1947, the American Battle Monuments Commission transferred the remains of fallen German soldiers which were provisionally buried at Henri-Chapelle, Fosse, Overrepen and Neuville-en-Condroz to Lommel. In 1952 to cemetery was transferred to the German War Graves Commission. The casualties from World War II mainly died during the following campaigns:

• Battle of Belgium (May 1940)
• Battle of Aachen (October 1944)
• Battle of Hürtgen Forest (September 1944-February 1945)
• Battle of the Bulge (December 1944-January 1945)
• Battle of the Remagen bridgehead (March 1945)

Besides 38,560 casualties from World War II, 6,221 of whom are unidentified, there are also 542 casualties from World War I buried at the cemetery. These casualties were previously interred in Leopoldsburg.

Sources

• Youth Meeting Center Lommel, a group accommodation and education centre for school classes, exchange projects, associations and organisations to the war grave cemetery.