Priekule Memorial Ensemble of Warrior’s Cemetery
Memorial site
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Das Ensemble des Bruderfriedhofes Priekule an der Straße Liepāja-Priekule-Skuoda ist der größte sowjetische Soldatenfriedhof des Zweiten Weltkrieges im Baltikum. Hier wurden mehr als 23 000 sowjetische Gefallene beigesetzt. Die „Operation Priekule“ ab Oktober 1944 bis zum 21. Februar 1945 war eine der erbittertesten Kampfhandlungen in Kurland. Die für beide Seiten verlustreiche Schlacht von Priekule im Februar 1945 dauerte sieben Tage und Nächte ohne Unterbrechung. Bis zur Umwandlung der Kriegsgräberstätte in eine Gedenkstätte zierte den Bruderfriedhof Priekule das letzte vom herausragenden lettischen Bildhauers K. Zāle (1888-1942) geschaffene Denkmal, das ursprünglich zur Erinnerung an die Unabhängigkeitskämpfe in Aloja errichtet werden sollte. Zwischen 1974 und 1984 wurde der Bruderfriedhof Priekule auf einer Fläche von 8 ha zu einem Gedenkensemble für die Gefallenen des Zweiten Weltkriegs umgestaltet. Beteiligt waren die Bildhauerin P. Zaļkalne, die Architekten A. Zoldners und E. Salguss sowie der Dendrologe A. Lasis. Die 12 m hohe Skulptur der „Mutter Heimat“ steht im Zentrum der Gedenkstätte. Die Namen der Gefallenen sind in Granitplatten eingraviert. Bis zur Wiederherstellung der Unabhängigkeit Lettlands 1991 wurde der Tag des Sieges alljährlich am 9. Mai hier groß gefeiert.
Used sources and references:
www.leismalite.lv
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The story of 19-year-old Rice Ahmedeyev about the reconnaissance battle on February 14, 1945 near Priekule
Bashkir-born Red Army soldier Rais Ahmadeev's (19 years old) account of the Soviet army's preparations for the attack on Priekule and the reconnaissance battle in Piekule on 14 February 1945.
The story of 19-year-old Alfons Volgemuts about the intelligence battle on February 17, 1945 near Priekule
Alfons Volgemuth was a 19-year-old boy, a radio operator and served in the army of Nazi Germany.
"No one has come back from this operation and it is not known if there are any survivors. I myself took part in that war as a 19-year-old radio operator and I am one of the 2, later 3 survivors who were taken prisoner by the Russians. I want to reflect the events from my own experience."
"The war is not over until the last soldier is buried" (Saldus German Soldiers' Cemetery)
Kurzeme emerged as a separate and distinct battlefield on 10 October 1944. Some 500 000 German troops were counted as surrounded. According to reports from the 1st Baltic Front Headquarters, only a "small effort" was needed to completely liberate the entire Baltic coast. However, the fighting in Kurland continued for another seven months and Kurland became a symbol of the end of the Second World War.
During the seven months of fighting until May 1945, German forces in Courland lost 154 108 soldiers killed, wounded and missing. Since 1997, a war cemetery survey and reburial of soldiers near Saldus has been carried out and currently 27,000 names of fallen soldiers can be found here
"The war is not over until the last soldier is buried" (Priekule Brethren Cemetery)
Kurzeme was established as a separate and isolated battlefield on October 10, 1944. About 500,000 soldiers of the German armed forces were counted as surrounded. According to the reports of the headquarters of the 1st Baltic Front, only a "slight effort" was needed to completely liberate the entire Baltic coast. However, the fighting in Kurzeme continued for another seven months and Kurzeme became a symbol of the end of World War II.
During the seven months of fighting until May 1945, the German armed forces lost 154,108 dead, wounded and missing soldiers in Kurzeme, while the Red Army lost around 400,000 dead, wounded or missing Red Army soldiers.