This is a view of Langemark War Cemetery in Belgium. The village of Langemark was the site of the first German gas attacks during the Great War in April 1915. Dedicated in 1932 it is one of four German Cemeteries in the Flanders region.

Behind the plinth where the poppies lie is the ‘Comrades Grave’ in which 24,917 unidentified German soldiers are buried. The bodies interred came from numerous smaller cemeteries in the area, as well as those found in fields and isolated burial areas.

Another 19,378 identified dead are buried in groups of eight, with markers across the rest of Langemark War Cemetery.

The statue of four mourning soldiers designed by Emil Krieger was added in 1956. They immediately draw the eye when entering the cemetery.

The panorama below shows a broader view of Langemark War Cemetery. It’s interesting to contrast the design and layout of the German cemeteries with the Commonwealth ones.

You can click on both photographs to view them full scale.