Germany: Rheinland-Pfalz: Landstuhl

amont
Thousand Oaks

Worth visiting!

The last time I went to this place

While visiting my boyfriend last week, I spent a few hours just strolling the city, taking pictures of things that caught my eye. (I added several of them to the photo gallery here in 43 Places.)

I was most fascinated by the cemetery. You really can learn a lot just by taking a walk through a cemetery. I know, I know, morbid. I didn’t go there due to morbid fascination though. I saw an elderly couple exit their car and walk arm and arm through a gate. I peeked in to see where they were going, and I realized it was a cemetery. I kept on walking though. After photographing a big green football/soccer player in a traffic circle garden (see the photo gallery) I backtracked my way back home. I passed the cemetery entrance and decided to peek in.

The first thing I saw was a simple plot solely for WWI soldiers. Their graves all had red poppies growing around the headstones. Several steps away was a Jewish section, separated from the rest of the cemetery and less than half full. I walked around about 2/3 of the cemetery an was struck by how there were no WWII soldiers and relatively few people who passed away between the 30’s and 50’s. Granted, I didn’t get through the whole place, but it still struck me as odd.

After I left the cemetery I walked back toward town and noticed what looked like a church. Curious, I walked behind it. There was an iron cross on a pedestal and behind a small hedge I noticed several iron cross headstones. The years of death on all the stones were in the early 1940’s. I’ve searched the internet for more information and I encountered this photo montage taken at the second cemetery I encountered. http://media.tbo.com/photos/tbo/2005/warstories/landstuhl/

As far as the town goes, it’s what you’ll typically find in German towns in this area. Lots of restaurants and shops, a train station, and lots of houses. It’s not someplace I would go see on a vacation but not an unpleasant place to spend time, if need be. It’s near Ramstein Airbase and a US military hospital is there, so therefore you’ll find lots of Americans living in the area.

Comments:

omagrace
Landstuhl

Enjoyed montage

The photos are great! Yes, the local cemetary is a great spot to get a feel for the history of a community. The one behind die alte Capelle is a war memorial type cemetary, ein Gedanknis. Actually, I lived about 150 meters further along that sidewalk. Please, after I get mine posted, please feel free to stroll through my hometown again. These are from Summer 2006.
Grace

amont
Thousand Oaks

Your photos...

... made me “homesick” for Landstuhl, even though I only spent a few weeks there. Can you believe I never made it up to the castle?! If I have the chance to go again, I’ll walk up to the castle for sure. :)

By the way, I’m sure I must have walked past your home. After I went by the war memorial, I continued along the sidewalk for quite a bit before turning back. I love the neighborhood there, it’s so clean. And all the flowers- I think it’s beautiful how so many people have gardens or flower pots in the front of their homes. :)

(This comment was deleted.)

Sep 24, 2006, 01:08PM PDT

shanneleh
0 places

Ms.

I was born in Landstuhl in 1938, but emigrated to the US in 1958. (Lucky me!). I have visited Landstuhl many, many times since, mostly to visit my
parents gravesite. The photos of the cemetary moved me and brought back
memories. On each one of my visits my parents gravesite was always my first stop and my last before returning here.
Three years ago I found out from city
management that the gravesite would have to be cleared because none of my family lived there anymore. I was devastated, as this place had always been a comfort station for me. When making arrangements to clear the site I inquired what would become of the headstone. I was informed that it would be ground down and mixed with asphalt for roads. No way! Not my parents headstone! Without giving it a second thought I made arrangements to have it
shipped to my home in Wisconsin. 900 pounds of black marble now sits in my backyard, providing comfort every time I look out of my windows. Also, my sons will be spared the cost of purchasing a headstone for me, as they are planning on re-cycling the one in my back yard.
I am so glad that someone other than myself finds the Landstuhl cemetary a beautiful and comforting place.

amont
Thousand Oaks

Asphalt?!

Oh my goodness! I’m glad you were able to intervene before the headstones were lost forever.

I have several more pictures from the cemetery; I didn’t post them ‘cause I didn’t want to seem like a weirdo cemetery junkie. I was struck by the beauty of the place, how the headstones were sometimes so elaborate and polished, and how well-kept the plots are. Some look like backyard gardens, with flowers flourishing and bringing cheer to a usually solemn place.

I’m attaching one more picture, one with a more broad view of the cemetery. I saw the building (a house, I believe) outside the cemetery with the painting on the side of it. The painting appears to be a crest, maybe a family crest, and a woman of nobility. I thought it was fitting, a painting depicting history, here in this place that so many have been laid to rest.

My best to you! :)


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