An unexpected find during my exploration of the Alsace Wine Route: a National Necropolis that pays homage to 1601 heroes of the French First Army who died defending what was then known as the Colmar pocket. This necropolis was built at Shigolsheim heights, which overlooks the Alsatian vineyards, villages, and the Vosges mountains.
In early 1945, allied and German forces fought a series of battles in the German-occupied Colmar Pocket. During these battles the Sigolsheim Heights saw violent fighting, with German forces calling the place “Blutberg” (Bloody Mountain). It was a strategic position that overlooked much of the lower lying terrain and had to be held at all cost. German forces resisted but lost their position when the commander of the German forces fled and most of the lower lying villages were in ruins by then.
Shigolsheim heights was chosen as a location for a national necropolis and memorial, where along 48 rows are buried 792 Muslim, 773 Christian and 19 Jewish soldiers, each distinguishable from the shape of their tombstone. A beautiful tribute to the martyrs of a needless war: uniting them in death, but honoring their diversity. This image captures the graves of Muslim soldiers against the stunning backdrop of the Alsatian countryside.
A memorial honoring the American forces who fought under French command for the liberation of the Colmar Pocket overlooks the cemetery.
The inscription at the entrance of the necropolis reads: “On these slopes of the Vosges, in this Alsatian plain, in heavy snow and low temperatures, soldiers from France, Africa and the United States, commanded by general de Lattre de Tassigny, gained victory after vicious fighting during the Colmar battle from 20 January thru’ 9 February”.
Attributes
Artist: Sanqueira
Edition: 1/1
Collection: An Autumn in Alsace
Year: 2022
Location: Shigolsheim, France
Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF-S 18 - 135 mm
ISO: 100
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter speed: 1/640 s
Focal length: 35 mm.
Utility: the collector of this 1/1 will be airdropped another image from the necropolis