Created in 1922, the National Necropolis of Sarrebourg was developed until its inauguration in 1926 to bring together the remains of soldiers who died in captivity in Germany during World War I (1914–1918). Initially buried in temporary cemeteries attached to internment camps, their bodies were exhumed and reinterred at Sarrebourg.
This cemetery holds 13,389 graves of French individuals, including 54 interred in two ossuaries. It is unique as the only necropolis dedicated to French prisoners, both military and civilian, from occupied regions who died in captivity. A registry is available on-site for visitors.
The monument was created by Frédéric-Balthazar Stoll, known as Frédy Stoll (1869–1949), a Swiss artist and wartime volunteer. The statue, symbolizing the suffering of prisoners, was sculpted from a block of granite during Stoll’s captivity at Grafenwöhr (Bavaria). It was permanently installed in Sarrebourg in 1930.
Photography: Walter E. L. Somers
