Lommel German war cemetery

Lommel German war cemetery is a German military cemetery located at Kattenbos, within the municipality of Lommel in Belgium. It holds the distinction of being the largest German military cemetery in Western Europe outside Germany itself, making it one of the most significant World War II memorial sites in the country.

Who is buried at the cemetery?

The cemetery is the resting place of German soldiers who died during the Second World War on Belgian territory. Alongside this main group of war dead from 1939–1945, the site also contains a smaller number of graves belonging to soldiers who died during the First World War. This combination means the cemetery holds traces of both major twentieth-century conflicts that swept through Belgian soil.

Why is this cemetery so large?

The scale of the cemetery reflects its role as a central burial site for German soldiers who fell in Belgium. Rather than remaining scattered across numerous smaller war cemeteries, the remains were consolidated at Kattenbos over time, resulting in a site whose size surpasses that of any other German military cemetery located outside Germany's own borders.

Where exactly is the cemetery located?

The cemetery lies in Kattenbos, an area within the city of Lommel, Belgium. Its geographic coordinates are approximately 51.189° N, 5.306° E, placing it within the municipal territory of Lommel.

What significance does the site hold today?

Lommel German war cemetery stands as a place of remembrance and reflection on the human cost of war. Because of its scale and its status as the largest German war cemetery in Western Europe outside Germany, it draws visitors interested in the history of the Second World War, as well as people researching the fate of relatives who fought or died on the Western Front.

What should visitors know before going?

Visiting Lommel German war cemetery, it is worth keeping in mind that this is primarily a burial and memorial site rather than a conventional tourist attraction. The sheer scale of the cemetery — the largest German military cemetery in Western Europe outside Germany — gives a visit here a distinctly reflective character. The presence of graves from both the Second World War and the First World War shows that the site's history is not confined to a single conflict, but spans a broader period of warfare that touched the territory of present-day Belgium.

As a site where the remains of German soldiers who died in Belgium were concentrated in one location, the Kattenbos cemetery serves as a collective place of remembrance — a single point of reference for families, historians, and anyone researching the fate of soldiers who fought on the Western Front during either world war. It is precisely this scale and concentrated character that sets the cemetery apart from the smaller, scattered war cemeteries found elsewhere in Europe.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Lommel German war cemetery located? In the Kattenbos area, within the city of Lommel, Belgium.

Who is buried at this cemetery? Mostly German soldiers who died during the Second World War in Belgium, along with a smaller number of soldiers from the First World War.

Is it the largest German war cemetery in Western Europe? Yes — it is the largest German military cemetery in Western Europe outside Germany itself.

What are the coordinates of the cemetery? The site is located at approximately 51.189° N, 5.306° E.