German military cementries in Europe as memory places in the democracy and dictatorship

Abstract

The graves and cemeteries of the German fallen soldiers symbolize different meanings and messages
during the time. In the Second World War, the Wehrmacht and the national socialists constructed
the soldier cemeteries as holy places and places of German heroism. After the surrender the graves
turned into symbols of a reminder of pain, suffer and war. Today the grave stones are used for educational
projects, memory services, guided tours for students and young people all over Europe