St Symphorien Military Cemetery

St Symphorien Military Cemetery is a First World War burial ground located in the village of Saint-Symphorien, Belgium, near Mons. It stands as one of the most symbolically significant war cemeteries in Europe, being a rare site where soldiers from both opposing armies of the Great War — German and Commonwealth — were laid to rest together on the same grounds.

Who is buried here?

The cemetery holds the graves of 284 German soldiers and 229 Commonwealth soldiers. Most of those buried here fell during the Battle of Mons, one of the first engagements between the British Expeditionary Force and the German Army on the Western Front in August 1914. The presence of soldiers from both sides of the conflict in a single burial ground makes St Symphorien stand out among war cemeteries, which typically hold the fallen of only one army.

Who established the cemetery, and why?

The cemetery was established by the German Army, which chose to create a burial ground on land donated by Jean Houzeau de Lehaie. The decision to lay German and British soldiers to rest together, taken as early as 1914, was an unusual gesture given the circumstances of the ongoing war, and it gave the site the distinctive symbolic character it still carries today.

How has the site's appearance changed over time?

The original design followed the concept of a woodland cemetery — a layout that worked with the natural, wooded surroundings, integrating the graves into the existing landscape rather than imposing a rigid, geometric arrangement on it. After the war, care of the cemetery passed to the Imperial War Graves Commission (the predecessor of today's Commonwealth War Graves Commission), which commissioned architect William Harrison Cowlishaw to redesign the site. It was Cowlishaw who gave the cemetery the form visitors see today, preserving the original woodland character of the site while introducing a more ordered arrangement of graves and pathways.

Why is this site worth visiting?

St Symphorien Military Cemetery carries exceptional historical weight — not only as a war cemetery, but as evidence that even amid the brutal conflict of the twentieth century, a shared act of commemoration for the fallen was possible, regardless of which side of the front line they had fought on. The woodland character of the site, preserved despite the later redesign, gives the place a quiet, contemplative atmosphere quite different from the more formal, state-run military cemeteries found elsewhere in Belgium and France.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people are buried at St Symphorien Military Cemetery? A total of 513 soldiers are buried here — 284 German soldiers and 229 Commonwealth soldiers.

Which battle is the cemetery associated with? Most of the Commonwealth soldiers buried here died during the Battle of Mons in August 1914, one of the first engagements of the war on the Western Front.

Who redesigned the cemetery into its current form? Architect William Harrison Cowlishaw carried out the redesign after the Imperial War Graves Commission took over responsibility for the site.

What makes St Symphorien different from other war cemeteries? It is one of the few sites where soldiers from both opposing armies — German and British — are buried side by side, a rarity among First World War cemeteries.