Rawa-Ruska Memorial

Between the old and new part of the cemetery is the monument to the French and Belgian prisoners of war who died in Stalag 325, better known as "Rawa Ruska".

"Rawa Ruska" was a German prison camp northeast of Lemberg in Poland. This is where the French, Belgian, Serbian and Soviet prisoners of war who had made several escape attempts ended up, as well as those suspected of sabotage or those who refused to work as prisoners of war. The first French and Belgians arrived on April 13, 1942.
The camp consisted of a main camp and 42 subsidiary camps and was in occupied territory and a war zone, which was completely against the Geneva Convention regarding the treatment of Prisoners of War.
Churchill described the main camp as: "The camp of the last drop and slow death."

The monument bears no names, only the inscription in French and Russian:
"Eternal memory
to the patriots
French and Belgians
Fallen in battle
Against Nazism
In Rawa-Ruska
1942-1944"

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Source

• Text: Francky De Rous
• Photos: Francky De Rous