German War Cemetery Maleme

In late May 1941, German paratroopers and mountain troops captured Crete, initiating a four-year occupation. During the occupation, the island was repeatedly bombed and infiltrated by Allied forces. The island also had a strong local resistance force.

The Maleme War Cemetery is thoughtfully arranged to reflect the four principal combat zones of World War II on the island of Crete: Chania, Maleme, Rethymnon, and Iraklion. Within the memorial square, metal plaques bear the names of 360 soldiers who lost their lives on the island but whose remains were never recovered.

The cemetery is the final resting place for 4,468 German soldiers who died during World War II. These individuals were originally buried in 62 different locations across Crete. Between April and November 1960, the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (German War Graves Commission), with permission from the Greek government, carried out a reburial operation. Soldiers were transferred from isolated field graves and temporary burial sites to Maleme.

Before a formal war graves agreement was ratified, coffins containing German war dead were temporarily stored at Gonai Monastery. In 1971, reburials at Maleme Cemetery began in earnest. The site was officially consecrated on October 6, 1974, in the presence of many surviving comrades of the fallen.

In 1975, the 1st Airborne Division of the German Armed Forces assumed sponsorship of the Maleme War Cemetery, honoring the memory of those who fought and fell on Crete.

The cemetery is located on a hill near Maleme airfield. There were heavy fighting during the Battle of Crete on this hill. Bunkers and defensive positions can be visited around the cemetery.

The entrance to the cemetery houses a permanent multilingual exhibition with personal stories, letters, and photographs from both German and Cretan perspectives, with an emphasis on remembrance and reconciliation.

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Source

• Text: TracesofWar
• Photos: Rob Vogels