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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The national necropolis of prisoners of war (1914-1918) in Saarburg is the only French military cemetery entirely dedicated to prisoners of the First World War who died in captivity in Germany. Created in 1922, it gathers the remains of 13,320 identified soldiers buried in individual graves, as well as 34 unknowns placed in two ossuary. The bodies were transferred there from temporary cemeteries located on German soil, indicating a desire to group these victims in a unique memorial place in France.

At the heart of the necropolis stands Le Géant enchainé, a granite sculpture by Freddy Stoll, himself a former prisoner of the Bavarian camp of Graffenwohr. This allegorical work symbolizes the suffering of the captives, while a plaque pays tribute to Léon Pasqual, MP and Senator of the North, prisoner of war at Maubeuge and then returned to political life after 1918. The site, which was listed as a historical monument in 2017, also honours combatants from the former French colonies, highlighting its international memorial dimension.

The cemetery illustrates the unknown history of the 2.8 million French soldiers captured during the Great War, nearly 100,000 of whom died in detention. Its sober architecture and monumental statue make it a place to collect and transmit the memory of forgotten sacrifices. The accuracy of its location (74 Rue de Verdun) and its heritage classification reinforce its role in the preservation of Lorrain and national military history.

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