Becklingen War Cemetery
Encyclopedia
The Becklingen War Cemetery is a military cemetery located in the state of Lower Saxony
in north Germany
on the Lüneburg Heath
. It was built by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
who continue to look after it today. The cemetery lies near Getrudenhof near the village of Becklingen
.
war cemetery was laid out in 1951 on a gentle slope enabling a good view across the Lüneburg Heath
. This site was chosen because the terrain resembled the Timeloberg hill on the edge of the village of Wendisch Evern
. It was at Timeloberg on 4 May 1945 that a German delegation
headed by General Admiral
Hans-Georg von Friedeburg
signed the unconditional surrender
of German forces in the north German region, in the presence of Field Marshal
Bernard Montgomery.
s and prisoners of war from the Second World War had been interred. Most of those buried here died in the final two months of the war. A total of 2,086 British, 140 Canadian, 79 Australian, 38 New Zealand, 2 South African, 1 Greek, 19 Polish, 5 Russian, 2 Yugoslav war dead and 29 persons of unknown nationality
have their final resting place in this cemetery.
with its crusader sword and the altar
stone are aligned on the same axis and linked by a wide swathe of grass. The altar stone, with the inscription "Their Name Liveth For Evermore", was built on circular bed created especially for it. On both sides of the St. Patrick's cross there are two low buildings; one houses the register of graves and is open to the public.
, religion
(if known) and a memorial verse by the relatives (as desired).
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
in north Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on the Lüneburg Heath
Lüneburg Heath
The Lüneburg Heath is a large area of heath, geest and woodland in northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover, and Bremen and is named after the town of Lüneburg. Most of the area is a nature reserve...
. It was built by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
who continue to look after it today. The cemetery lies near Getrudenhof near the village of Becklingen
Becklingen
Becklingen is a German village in the Lower Saxon borough of Bergen in the northern part of Celle district on the Lüneburg Heath.- Geography :...
.
History
This CommonwealthCommonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
war cemetery was laid out in 1951 on a gentle slope enabling a good view across the Lüneburg Heath
Lüneburg Heath
The Lüneburg Heath is a large area of heath, geest and woodland in northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover, and Bremen and is named after the town of Lüneburg. Most of the area is a nature reserve...
. This site was chosen because the terrain resembled the Timeloberg hill on the edge of the village of Wendisch Evern
Wendisch Evern
Wendisch Evern is a municipality in the district of Lüneburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany.- Recent history :On 4 May 1945 on the Timeloberg hill at the edge of Wendisch Evern a German delegation under the command of Hans-Georg von Friedeburg signed a document in the presence of British Field Marshal...
. It was at Timeloberg on 4 May 1945 that a German delegation
Delegation
Delegation is the assignment of authority and responsibility to another person to carry out specific activities. However the person who delegated the work remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated work. Delegation empowers a subordinate to make decisions, i.e...
headed by General Admiral
General Admiral
General admiral was a Danish, Dutch, German, Russian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish naval rank. Its historic origin is a title high military or naval dignitaries of early modern Europe sometimes held, for example the commander-in-chief of the Dutch Republic's navy .-Third Reich:In the German...
Hans-Georg von Friedeburg
Hans-Georg von Friedeburg
Hans-Georg von Friedeburg was the deputy commander of the U-Boat Forces of Nazi Germany and the last Commanding Admiral of the Kriegsmarine....
signed the unconditional surrender
Unconditional surrender
Unconditional surrender is a surrender without conditions, in which no guarantees are given to the surrendering party. In modern times unconditional surrenders most often include guarantees provided by international law. Announcing that only unconditional surrender is acceptable puts psychological...
of German forces in the north German region, in the presence of Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Bernard Montgomery.
Origin
The Becklingen War Cemetery in the Lüneburg Heath was an amalgamation of several smaller cemeteries and individual graves within a radius of about 80 km, in which fallen soldierKilled in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
s and prisoners of war from the Second World War had been interred. Most of those buried here died in the final two months of the war. A total of 2,086 British, 140 Canadian, 79 Australian, 38 New Zealand, 2 South African, 1 Greek, 19 Polish, 5 Russian, 2 Yugoslav war dead and 29 persons of unknown nationality
Nationality
Nationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....
have their final resting place in this cemetery.
Layout
Like almost all CWGC war cemeteries the layout follows standard guidelines. Its architectural design stems from the British architect Philip Dalton Hepworth. Cemeteries based on his design comprise two central elements and a memorial hall, rows of gravestones and a simple lawn layout.Central structure
The large Cross of SacrificeCross of Sacrifice
The Cross of Sacrifice was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield for the Imperial War Graves Commission and is usually present in Commonwealth war cemeteries containing 40 or more graves. It is normally a freestanding four point limestone Latin cross in one of three sizes ranging in height from 18 to...
with its crusader sword and the altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
stone are aligned on the same axis and linked by a wide swathe of grass. The altar stone, with the inscription "Their Name Liveth For Evermore", was built on circular bed created especially for it. On both sides of the St. Patrick's cross there are two low buildings; one houses the register of graves and is open to the public.
Gravestones
The gravestones are laid out in rows to the right and left of the central grass strip which runs in a straight line from the altar to the high cross. They are made of white sandstone and are inscribed, from top to bottom, with the unit, name and rankMilitary rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
(if known) and a memorial verse by the relatives (as desired).
Grassed areas
The gravestones are set at ground level and surrounded by small beds. The whole cemetery is grassed, a few individual trees breaking the view. The graves, bushes and trees are laid out with precise symmetry and there are only a few flowers.Source
- Der 2. Weltkrieg, Bilder – Daten – Dokumente, C. Bertelsmann Verlag GmbH, München 1983, ISBN 3-570-01403-7