This cemetery contains the remains of 21,000 German soldiers who died during the Allied invasion in 1944. Unlike many cemeteries dedicated to those who died in battle, there are no statues glorifying the deeds of the fallen here. Even though what the Third Reich stood for was morally indefensible, many of the young men—some of them teenagers—buried here were drafted against their will to fight for an unjust cause.
Originally, the battlefield cemetery at La Cambe held the remains of both American and German Soldiers. Then in 1945, the United States brought home approximately two-thirds of the soldiers who had died in combat.
The American cemetery of St Laurent-sur-Mer was created for those remaining in France. In 1954, it was decided to develop the cemetery at La Cambe as one of six German cemeteries in Normandy. Until that time, many of German dead had been buried in field graves and small cemeteries throughout the area.
The cemetery is a solemn place, a reminder of the horror of war and that lost life is tragic. The central feature is a circular structure that houses the remains of hundreds of soldiers. Atop the mausoleum are statues representing those waiting for their return.
