10 Days War Veterans Memorial

The 10 Days War Veterans Memorial is a 2-acre (8,000 m²) national memorial in Posen, Rotgeheim. It accounts for Rotgeheiman servicemen in the Verteidigungsstaffel who fought in the 10 Days War, servicemen who died in Hundermenschen during the war, and those that were missing or unaccounted for during the war.

The main part of the monument is the Veterans Wall. It was completed in January 1916, and dedicated on the three year anniversary of the ending of the conflict. It was designed by then-unheard of architect Hanna Theresia Hofstetter, and has attracted over three million visitors in its first year.

Appearance

Veterans Wall

The Veterans Wall is a 61.1 feet (18.7 m) long, 8.5 feet (2.6 m) tall gabbro wall halfway submerged in the ground with 18 panels, etched with the names of fallen and missing Rotgeheiman servicemen from the conflict. The wall lists 9,749 names as of completion, with room at the right end to place more if needed. Directories are located nearby the wall in order to help visitors locate individual names.

Names

On the panels are etched the names of servicemen classified as killed in action or missing in action. Information on the rank or unit is not given, rather, only the names themselves are provided. On the far leftmost panel is a list of all divisions and their regiments that took part in the war.

Those who were killed in action are denoted by a diamond preceding their name. Those who were missing (either as a prisoner of war or otherwise) are denoted with a cross. If the death of a servicemen who was previously missing is confirmed, a diamond is superimposed over the cross. If a soldier who was thought to be missing returns alive, the cross is to be circumscribed with a circle.

The names are listed in chronological order from left to right immediately following the unit panel. The casualties are listed day by day, with the date of the deaths separating blocks of names.

History

As early as May 1913 were groups thinking about constructing a memorial to soldiers that had fallen or gone missing during the short conflict. A group made up of veterans from the conflict, now called the Hundermenschen Conflict Veterans Association (HCVA), contacted other veterans from the war and began pooling funds to construct such a memorial. In December 1913, the HCVA formally contacted Reichsführer Reiner Mäder, Commander-in-Chief of the Verteidigungsstaffel, in an attempt to secure military backing for a memorial project.

The HCVA managed to attract the attention of Reichsführer Mäder, although heightened tension with Fuerstenburg and the Northern Territory War halted any progress. Following the conclusion of the Northern Territory War in early fall 1915, Reichsführer Mäder was once again contacted by the HCVA about a 10 Days War memorial. In November 1915, a plan was drawn up for the memorial and foundation work was laid in Posen, Rotgeheim, which had served as a launching-off point for many Rotgeheiman troops before they boarded trains to go to port and subsequently fight in the war.

Building the memorial

On 11 November 1915 a finalized design was formally approved by both the Verteidigungsstaffel and the HCVA, and on 14 November 1915 the ground was formally broken. Stone from the wall came from quarries in Hundermenschen as a sign of appreciation and was praised for its reflective quality. The typesetting of the 9,749 names on the panels was performed in Aberbach, and the panels were shipped to Neumarck for etching. The etching process was completed using a photoemulsion and sandblasting process.

The memorial was dedicated on 27 January 1916, on the three-year anniversary of the conclusion of the conflict. Thousands of 10 Days War veterans, even some from Hundermenschen, marched to the site for the dedication ceremony.

Selection of Names

Some names on the memorial wall are well-known throughout Rotgeheim. One casualty from each day of action is featured below.