Monument to the Fallen of the First World War in the City of Roth Park in Racibórz

The monument to the fallen of the First World War in Racibórz was designed in 1926 by the sculptor Prof. Hans Dammann. It stood on the grounds of the Catholic-Protestant cemetery on ul. Opawska, on the site of today's City of Roth Park. Of the whole monument only the side balustrades with benches have survived to this day, and one of the park paths runs through the middle of the former layout.

The monument

The monument was 12 metres wide and made of grey and red sandstone. In the central part stood a cross 3.55 metres high on a two-metre plinth, and against its background a sculpture of the Archangel Michael 2.6 metres high, resting his hands on a sword almost two metres long. On both sides of the sculpture ran balustrades with benches, and at their ends lay German helmets. The monument commemorated soldiers killed in the First World War and stood west of the park pond.

The former cemetery

The cemetery on ul. Opawska was established in 1807, when the authorities banned burials within the town. It was used by Catholics and Protestants, and the area of the necropolis grew to three hectares. Burials were halted in the 1920s, although isolated ones still took place until the end of 1945. In 1959 the walls and the cemetery chapel were demolished, and the site was joined to the city park. The former necropolis is recalled today by the old stand of trees and a gravestone in the former Protestant section with a marble sculpture of a sad woman, carved by R. Felderhoff.

Nearby

The monument lies in the City of Roth Park. About a kilometre away, in the centre of Racibórz, stand Racibórz Castle and the Church of St Nicholas.

Practical information

• Location: Racibórz, City of Roth Park (the former cemetery on ul. Opawska), west of the pond.
• The site is preserved only in part: in the field you can see the balustrades with benches, not the former monument in its full form. The park is a publicly accessible urban area.