Route of Commemoration No.12: Consequences of the War

Athough World War II ended on May 9th, 1945, the legacy of the war can still be found everywhere nowadays, especially underground. Even today, specialized bomb-deactivation services meticulously dismantle explosives. Yet, there haven been smaller accidents amongst the inhabitants duet o imprudent handling of ammunition. Even today, unexploded bombs and grenades are still found during excavation works.
A tragic accident occured on July 9th, 1972, when three local children from Nidrum most likely found an took a hand grenade on the banks of the river Warche. That was fata lto them. Its explosion caused the death of the 11-year-old Diet Schleiß. Two 11-year-old and 9-year-old boys were injured. Once again the potential danger of World War II ammunition was demonstrated.

28 tombstones at the cemetery of Nidrum remind of the Russian prisoners of war, who died in the military base of Elsenborn or the Russian prisoners camp in Bosfagne near Sourbrodt. In 1996, Russia had a memorial stone built there.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Hans Tasma