Koln(Cologne), Nordrhein-Westfal
Cologne Southern Cemetery lies within a large civil cemetery known locally as Koln Sudfriedhof. Koln Sudfriedhof is about 5 kilometres south of the centre of Cologne, on the Honigerweg.
The cemetery may also be approached from the E40 (A4) motorway, by taking Junction 11 towards Koln-Klettenberg. Turn right onto the Luxemburger Strasse (B265) for 750 metres, then at the first traffic lights, near the railway, turn right onto the Militarringstrasse. Follow the Militarringstrasse for about 2.5 kilometres, then at the traffic lights turn left onto Bruhler Strasse. After 750 metres turn left onto Markusstrasse. The entrance to the Koln Sudfriedhof cemetery will be seen on the left when entering Honinger Platz.
On entering Koln Sudfriedhof, follow the main cemetery road which leads to Cologne War Cemetery.
Cologne was entered by Commonwealth forces on 6 December 1918 and occupied under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles until January 1926.
COLOGNE SOUTHERN CEMETERY was used during the war for the burial of more than 1,000 Allied prisoners, as well as German servicemen. After the Armistice it was used by the occupying garrison.
In 1922 it was decided that the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died all over Germany should be brought together into four permanent cemeteries. Cologne Southern was one of those chosen and the following year, graves were brought in from 183 burial grounds* in Hanover, Hesse, the Rhine and Westphalia.
There are now 2,482 First World War servicemen buried or commemorated in the Commonwealth plots at Cologne. The total includes special memorials to a number of casualties buried in other cemeteries in Germany whose graves could not be found.
The Commonwealth section of the cemetery also contains 132 Second World War graves, mostly those of servicemen who died with the occupying forces. There are, in addition, 676 non-war graves and 29 burials of other nationalities.
The COLOGNE MEMORIAL takes the form of panels set inside the north shelter building at the entrance to the Commonweatlh plots in Cologne Southern Cemetery. It commemorates 25 servicemen of the United Kingdom who died in Germany and who have no known grave. Of these, 19 are known to have died as prisoners and their places of burial are not recorded. The other six died after the Armistice by drowning and their bodies were not recovered.
*The following cemeteries are among those from which graves were brought to Cologne:
AACHEN MILITARY CEMETERY, 197 burials of sailors 1914-1919.
BONN (POPPELSDORF) CEMETERY, 133 service and one civilian burial, all of 1919. The 47th General Hospital and the 21st Casualty Clearing Station were posted at Bonn.
BUDERICH (FORT BLUCHER) PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, 39 burials of 1914-1919.
COBLENZ FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY, KARTHAUSE, 59 burials of 1915-1918. Coblenz was occupied by United States troops in December 1918.
DORTMUND SOUTH-WESTERN CEMETERY, 53 burials of 1914-1918.
DUISBURG TOWN CEMETERY, 35 burials of 1914-1919.
DULMEN PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, 96 burials of 1915-1918.
DUREN NEW TOWN CEMETERY, 79 burials, mostly of 1919. The 11th Stationary Hospital and the 17th Casualty Clearing Station were posted at Duren.
DUSSELDORF NORTH CEMETERY, 24 burials of 1915-1918.
ESSEN SOUTH-WESTERN CEMETERY, 21 burials of 1917-1918.
EUSKIRCHEN NEW TOWN CEMETERY, 75 service and one civilian burials of 1918-1919. The 42nd Stationary Hospital and the 47th Casualty Clearing Station were posted at Euskirchen.
FRIEDRICHSFELD PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, 70 burials of 1916-1918.
FRIEMERSHEIM CEMETERY, 20 burials of 1918.
GELSENKIRCHEN WEST CEMETERY, 21 burials of 1917-1918.
GEROLSTEIN MILITARY CEMETERY, 25 burials of 1918.
JULICH MILITARY, 39 burials of 1915-1918.
MULHEIM-AM-RUHR OLD TOWN CEMETERY, 49 burials of 1915-1918.
MUNSTER (HAUSPITAL) PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, 161 burials of 1914-1918.
RECKLINGHAUSEN PROTESTANT, CATHOLIC AND SOUTH CEMETERIES, 26 burials of 1916-1918.
TRIER TOWN CEMETERY, 48 burials of 1917-1918.
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