Neuville-St Vaast German war cemetery

Neuville-Saint-Vaast German war cemetery is a 10-hectare site with dark metal crosses arranged in geometric patterns across the landscape. It holds the remains of approximately 44,800 soldiers who were gathered from across the region after the war.

French authorities established this burial ground between 1919 and 1923, gathering fallen soldiers from approximately 110 municipalities across the Pas-de-Calais region. This period reflected France's effort to collect and honor the many dead from the First World War.

The cemetery holds 129 graves for German Jewish soldiers, each marked with the Star of David symbol. Visitors place pebbles on these stones, following a tradition rooted in Jewish burial customs.

Reference books listing all interred soldiers and models showing troop positions during the battles are available at the entrance. These materials help visitors understand the history and locate specific individuals buried at the site.

Each metal cross bears the names of four soldiers, two on each side, as a space-saving design. An ossuary in the northern section holds approximately 8,040 unidentified soldiers whose identities could not be determined.

Location: Neuville-Saint-Vaast

Inception: 1919

Architects: Robert Tischler

Part of: Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front)

Website: https://kriegsgraeberstaetten.volksbund.de/friedhof/neuville-stvaast

GPS coordinates: 50.34222,2.75417

Latest update: December 8, 2025 21:03