Reflective Travel in the Alsace
This was my final day in the Alsace region of France. The weather has been unsettled lately. Sunday morning broke here with the sun peeking through the clouds but I drove through rain, sleet and snow throughout the day.
I decided to first head north to Bergheim to visit a German World War II cemetery I’d read about earlier. Along the way, I pulled to the side of the tiny road winding up through the vineyards to get a beautiful view of town below. It looked so peaceful now…
As American and French forces advanced toward the Rhine in the winter of 1944, German soldiers bitterly defended the Alsace. This region had been annexed into the Reich so it was considered German soil. More than 5,000 German dead were buried in this cemetery overlooking Bergheim.
The American cemetery is located in Lorraine. I had already visited the French cemetery near Sigolsheim.
Three or four names were on each marker. Some markers read “unknown”. The cemetery today is maintained by the German government. I noted that signs in the parking lot showed German instructions first and French next.
There was a small, unmanned building at the entrance. You could look through books detailing the history of the cemetery and locate specific graves by last name. I signed the visitor log.
Walking through the markers, I noticed that most of the soldiers were killed between November 1944 and early 1945. Most were in their 20s when they died. The German memorial at the entrance read “to the victims of war” which I thought was fitting. Any politician rattling sabers should walk through a cemetery like this.
I next drove west to the town of Munster situated in a valley between some of the highest peaks in the Vosges. It had been shelled during the First World War so no picturesque timber-framed houses here.
Along the road I came across an old Citroën. Of course I had to pull over and take a closer look. I believe this was a Traction Avant first produced in 1934. This car pioneered mass-production of several revolutionary innovations including front-wheel drive.
Munster was on the front lines of trench warfare in World War I. Remember, the Alsace was German territory in 1914 and the French wanted it back. The lines formed in the mountains which had to be the worst terrain for fighting.
I came to another German cemetery, this time for World War I, at Hohrod. Instead of the concrete markers I’d seen in Bergheim, this cemetery had metal crosses. A light snow was falling and contrasted with the dark evergreens.
Several Jewish graves stood out along the lines of crosses. Sadly, even after fighting for Germany in the Great War, Jewish veterans would not be spared after the Nazis came to power in 1933.
Further up the mountain, I visited a French WWI memorial and a surprisingly extensive network of original trenches.
This photo of German soldiers manning these same lines a little more than 100 years ago really brought the history alive for me.
After returning to Husseren-les-Châteaux, I decided to round out my evening with a hike up the mountain to finally see the castle ruins above town.
Along the path through the towering pine trees, I came across yet another grave marker. This one was older and had a curious message. It read in German: “Monument to Mathias Bendee who was found dead here under a tree. Anne 1708.” That was it from Anne.
I finally made it to the top and looked out over the Alsace plain from the castle ruins. The mountains across the Rhine in Germany were capped in snow.
With the weather in central Europe cooler than normal and rain forecast for much of next week, I decided I’ll head south over the Alps to the Aosta Valley in Italy. My chances for better weather there are much greater. It looks to be about a four-hour drive but I’m sure I’ll stop along the way.
I’ve enjoyed exploring the Alsace. This is a unique and beautiful region of Europe. Au revoir!
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