0160 "Bollwerk des Deutschtums im Osten": Das Freikorpsehrenmal auf dem Annaberg/Oberschlesien

Abstract

In 1936, the National Socialist government of the province of Upper Silesia commissioned the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (German War Graves Commission) to build a memorial to the German Freikorps fighters, who had fought in the various post-war conflicts following World War I. The building, completed in 1938, was located on the Annaberg in Upper Silesia, where German troops had defeated Polish insurgents during the third Silesian Uprising in 1921. The article analyzes the composition of this so-called Totenburg and explores the myths and legends behind this – literally – outstanding example of commemorative architecture.