In a disused landscaped quarry near the Peace and Reconciliation Centre of Glencree is a stark reminder of the vast scale of the Second World War. This is the German Military Cemetery one of the many German war cemeteries in Western Europe, which

The German Military Cemetery at Glencree

collectively contain a total of over one and a half million known combatants. The quarry itself has an interesting background. It was owned by Lord Powerscourt and it probably first came into use to supply building material for the nearby Glencree military barracks in 1803.Later in the century the stone was used to extend Glencree when it was used as a reformatory school. Towards the end of the 19th century however the Glencree stone found a better use when it was quarried for material to create the splendid and world famous Powerscourt ornamental gardens.

Although a neutral country on the edge of the main battlefields, Ireland did not entirely escape the direct effects of the war. There were events such as the bombing of Dublin’s North Strand, the destruction of the Campile Creamery in County Wexford, isolated bomb droppings in many locations, the sinking of Irish ships, the threats of invasion and the general rigours of war time restrictions. European wartime belligerence spilled over into this country for various reasons, mainly from Germanys air force. Some of the Germans killed in action over Ireland resulted from causes such as aircraft getting lost in foul weather or crashing as a result of damage in action over England. Running out of fuel and navigational errors from inexperience also caused fatalities. These Luftwaffe (Air force) personnel are all buried in Glencree.Interred here also are a number of regular naval personnel (Kriegmarine) whose bodies were found washed up, sometimes in remote coastal locations. Fifty three of the air and naval service men buried in Glencree have identities while twenty eight others will never be known. Probably the most unfortunate victims were forty six German civilian detainees who were in the process of been shipped from England to Canada for internment and who’s ship, “The Arandora Star” was torpedoed by a German U Boat off Tory island in July 1940.Although civilians, these persons were deemed military casualties and so were entitled to be buried in the military cemetery. There is a memorial to the ill-fated ship on Tory Island.

Those who engaged in the ‘secret side of war’ are also buried here. Dr Hermann Gortz, who took his own life to avoid arrest as a spy was buried in Glencree.He is the only person who also has an individual memorial. Set at the back of the graveyard it is a finely carved stone relief. The dead are not entirely confined to World War II.Six soldiers of the First World War are also interred. These soldiers died while prisoners in a British prisoner of war camp located in Ireland in 1915/18. In all 134 persons are buried in the German Military Cemetery.

Set on a height above the cemetery and dominating it is a fine Celtic type high cross. A poem set in polished stone close by the entrance articulates the poignancy of Glencree.These words are by Professor Stan O’Brien, a dedicated supporter of the Irish German Society. Through the wrought iron gates the pathway leads to the ‘Hall of Honour’, a place of reflection and prayer. A mosaic Pieta, designed by Berlz, the Munich born painter decorates the interior wall. Just beyond the Hall the gravestones are laid out in eight slightly curving arcs. The military cemetery is laid out according to a plan common to nearly all German military graveyards in any country they are found. Each flat stone cross marks a paired burial. Some are named and some are not. Upright crosses are part of the décor. This pairing give the illusion that there are far fewer persons buried here than there actually are. Graves 1 to 14 are in the first arc, then 15 to 28 in the second, 29 to 49 in the third, 50 to 70 in the fourth, 71 to 95 in the fifth, 97 to 117 in the sixth, 118 to 127 in the seventh and finishing with 128 to 134 towards the back of the cemetery. Carefully set stone, sculptured for its endurance to weather and the elements and aesthetically placed, is a feature of the war cemetery. This ensues that the memorials will always look well even with a minimum of maintenance. Each year the ornamental vegetation is renewed and planted as required. Wicklow heathers, dwarf conifers and more lordly trees provide a beautiful and natural cover. Constant to the ear is the sound of the fast flowing Glencree River. Its moss-drenched boulders add to the sombre atmosphere of the war cemetery. (Caution should be exercised, in wet weather especially, if venturing to the foot of the High Cross as the route up is steep and can be very slippery)

The idea of the German War Cemetery was originally espoused in 1951 by Dr Katzenberger, the first accredited German envoy to Ireland after the war. He was devoted to locating and centralising the German war graves in Ireland so they could be better maintained and the dead given due recognizance. In the immediate aftermath of the war German dead in Ireland were scattered through 15 counties in 59 graves. Some of these graves were in very bad condition as they were located in very isolated cemeteries and there was a fear the exact locations would be lost as local memory dimmed. In 1959 the Glencree site was agreed by the Irish and German governments as the suitable location for a central German war cemetery and the project was then handed over to Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgraberfursorge of Kassel in Germany, who organise and care for German war cemeteries all over Europe and further afield. The old quarry site was modified and landscaped over several seasons by German and volunteers of other nationalities through the summers of 1959, 1960,and1961. Glencree Deutsche Kriegsgraberstatte was finally dedicated on July 9 1961.