Symbolic Grave Alfred Jodl

The Frauenchiemsee monastery cemetery contains the Jodl family tomb on which there is also a cenotaph for Generaloberst Alfred Jodl.

Alfred Jodl was hanged as a war criminal in Nuremberg on 16 October 1946, and his ashes were scattered across the river Isar. Buried in the family tomb are his first wife Irma Countess von Bullion (1885-1944), his second wife Luise von Benda (1905-1998) and his younger brother Ferdinand (1896-1956) and his wife.

This symbolic tombstone for Alfred Jodl is controversial today. Until May 2015, the fuss about it remained limited. Then, outraged islanders demanded that at least for visitors to the cemetery, there should be a sign explaining the crimes and condemnation of Hitler's general. Not long after, artist Wolfram Kastner, out of indignation, lopped off Jodl's J and sent the letter to the Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin. The trailing word ‘odl’, means something like ‘cesspool’ in the Bavarian dialect. The mayor of Fraueninsel-Chiemsee reacted with annoyance but pragmatism. He told the press that the grave rights would expire as early as January 2018. Then the grave would be cleared and there would be no need for any further fuss.

It did not come to that, a second cousin of Luise extended the grave rights. Attempts in 2020 by SPD MP Florian von Brunn to have Alfred Jodl's gravestone removed also came to nothing due to a veto by other parties.

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