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      Commemoration

      War Cemetery at the Maschsee Lake

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      Gräberfeld auf dem Ehrenfriedhof Maschsee-Nordufer © LHH

      Gräberfeld auf dem Ehrenfriedhof Maschsee-Nordufer

      This burial ground is the last resting place for concentration camp prisoners, forced labourers and prisoners of war from all parts of Europe who were murdered in Hannover towards the end of the Second World War.
      Memorial at the war cemetery at the north shore of the Lake Maschsee © LHH

      The Memorial was created following drafts by the sculptor Mykola Muchin-Koloda and dedicated to the public on 16 October 1945.

      Since its founding in 2010, the "Culture of Remembrance" (Erinnerungskultur) Project of the State Capital of Hannover has been concerned with the war cemetery on the north shore of the Maschsee lake. The department works towards creating and organising new forms of remembrance, one aspect being that the Memorial is increasingly perceived as a place of European commemoration.

      Numerous persons are involved here and actively shape the remembrance at the Memorial Cemetery: Since the 1980s, the IG Metall trade union has been agitating for the active use of the Cemetery. Members of IG Metall Jugend youth group enhance the commemoration ceremonies on the International Day of Peace with their reflections on the topic of war.

      The St. Ursula School and the Bertha-von-Suttner school have assumed responsibility for this place of remembrance. Through reflection on its significance and regular maintenance work the students commit to the preservation of the Memorial Cemetery.

      Commemoration Ceremony on the International Day of Peace, 1 September 2011 © Reinhold Weismann-Kieser

      Commemoration Ceremony on the International Day of Peace, 1 September 2011

      Because of such commitment, in recent years manifold projects could be realised: In the years 2008 and 2010 two history and commemorative boards could be set up on site which explain about the history of the Memorial Cemetery.

      In May 2011 and 2013 the "Culture of Remembrance" Project – together with the working group Maschsee hosted the international youth meeting "Dignity and Respect in Daily Life". Students from Russia, Poland, France and Hannover reflected on the history of the war cemetery and planned the Commemoration Ceremony for Liberation Day on 8 May.

      A continuation of youth meetings and a focus on the cemetery as an extracurricular place of learning are in preparation for May 2015.