War Cemetery Cottbus-Merzdorf

During the First World War, the current Cottbus-Merzdorf cemetery was the site of a large prisoner-of-war camp. According to the Cottbus City Museum, numerous Russian prisoners of war were laid to rest in the camp cemetery in 1920. In total, more than 500 prisoners of war are buried there, coming from countries including the British Commonwealth, Italy, France, and Russia. Many prisoners did not survive the harsh conditions in the camp. Poor hygiene and limited medical facilities led to the outbreak of epidemics, which ultimately claimed the lives of a significant number of prisoners.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Koos Winkelman