SELF-DISCOVERY TASK CEMETERIES
We were separated in 7 groups, each group had to investigate and compare different aspects of
different war cemeteries : the French cemetery, Saint-Charles de Potyze, the British cemetery Tyne
Cot and the German cemetery, Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof Langemark.
Group 1 looks in each case for the integration of NATURE in the cemeteries. The pupils are
looking out for the plantation (which?), the used materials, the outline of the cemetery.
Group 2 looks for references on each cemetery to RELIGIONS. How has this aspect been
expressed on the tombstones, in the inscriptions, in the architecture, in the construction of the
cemetery?
Group 3 is looking out for the different NATIONALITIES that have been buried on each cemetery.
The pupils should find this out by themselves. They should also take a picture of the emblems on
the tombstones. They can get assistance by the teachers in order to find the explanation of the
symbolism on these emblems.
Group 4 investigates how THE MILITARY ASPECT of each cemetery has been expressed: on the
tombstones, in the posting of these stones, in the inscriptions, in the statues. They are also
seeking for military decorations and honours, as well as for the way in which anonymous dead
soldiers have been mentioned or commemorated.
Group 5 uses the NUMBER/AMOUNT and the AGE of the dead as a starting-point for their
investigation. They try to formulate a number of findings from this point of view. Are there
women buried on the cemeteries?
Group 6 looks for references to the FORMER ENEMY on each cemetery. What refers to Germany
in Tyne Cot (Commonwealth) and Potyze (French) or to the Allied Forces in Langemark?
Group 7 is searching for personal messages of RELATIVES, placed on the tombstones in the form
of epitaphs (Tyne Cot) or in the form of flowers with written communications, etc. This group
can also address some accidental visitors to the cemeteries and study the personal notes of
visitors in the VISITOR BOOKS.
REFERENCES TO THE FORMER ENEMY
On the Tynecot Cemetery we find some German soldiers:
Otto Bieber and an unknown German soldier
DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES ON CEMETERIES
On the Tynecot cemetery we found these different nationalities:
 Egypt
 Scotland
 Ireland
 South Africa
 Canada
 New Zealand
 Australia
 India
CEMETERIES
Tuesday¸ January 21st 2014
We took the bus to go to the historical city Ypres to learn something more about the Great War.
First, we visited the French cemetery Saint-Charles de Potyze where 4.209 French soldiers were
buried.
Some of them are unknown but still deserve a decent place to rest in peace. The guide explained that
there were three kinds of graves: a cross for the French who were (mostly) Christians, a Star of David
for the
Jewish
and a
Moorish style tombstone for the Muslims.
The next cemetery we visited was in Zonnebeke, the British Polygon Wood Cemetery with 107
deceased soldiers. The cemetery was split up in two parts, a little cemetery and a bigger one. The
little one was made during the war, while the bigger one was made after the war. You can see that in
the way the tombstones were placed. In the little one the tombstones were not placed in parallel
rows because they didn’t have time for that. In front of many tombstones there are roses.
The little cemetery of Polygon Wood
The big cemetery of Polygon Wood
The last cemetery was Langemark, a German
cemetery, in the Belgian province of West Flanders. More than 44.000 soldiers were buried here. The
village was the scene of the first gas attacks by the German army, marking the beginning of the
Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915. If we compare the German cemetery to the British and the
French, we can see that the graves are flat and they only use dark colors.
In the morning we also visited Tyne Cot Cemetery, which is a British cemetery. First of all, It was quite
impressive to see because the gravestones were made out of marble, an expensive investment.
Probably the cemetery was made after the war because the tombstones followed a certain order and
were placed in rows. We have alsolearnt what the text indicates on the gravestones.
Then we walked through a little wood Palingbeek which was a battlefield and we could still see
craters due to the shells’ impact. So the war caused a deformation of the landscape.
At eight o’clock we went to see the Last Post. This ceremony takes place every evening at the Menin
Gate. On the walls of the Menin Gate 54,896 names of missing soldiers and generals can be read.
There were five men who played a solemn tune on the trumpet, then there was a speech and then a
minute of silence and two persons placed a wreath of poppies. After that they ended the ceremony
with one last piece of music on the trumpet.
After this interesting day, we went home to sleep, to be ready for the next instructive day.