Description
Located to the south of the village, close to the church and communal cemetery, the German military cemetery at "Wicres Village" offers a fascinating insight into the history of the First World War. Covering more than three hectares, 2,824 German soldiers lie in individual graves, 128 of which remain unidentified. The site is striking for its rigorous organization and sobriety, reflecting a memory still deeply rooted in the landscape.
Created in September 1915, the cemetery commemorates the soldiers who fell in the Third Battle of Artois, fought between La Bassée and Arras. A memorial commemorates September 25, 1915, the day a regiment lost 210 men in a mine explosion. Over 900 graves date from the second half of 1915, while in 1918, almost 1,000 soldiers were buried during the German attack in May and the Allied counter-offensives in September and October.
Over the years, the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge has worked to improve the site: tree planting, a landscape overhaul in 1979, replacement of the old wooden crosses with engraved natural stone crosses. A visit to the cemetery will give you an idea of the scale of the battles that marked Wicres, and a place of remembrance and contemplation.
