Cerny-en-Laonnois village on the Chemin des Dames
Cerny-en-Laonnois German War Cemetery is on the Chemin des Dames Plateau.
Situated at the crossroads of the D18CD and D967 roads, which connect Laon to Château-Thierry, the village offers a view of the spires of the cathedrals of Soissons, Laon, and Reims.
Cerny-en-Laonnois was at the heart of the fighting during the Battle of the Chemin des Dames in the First World War and remains a place of remembrance. Along with 18 other villages and hamlets on the plateau, Cerny-en-Laonnois was indeed completely razed, leading to the entire area being declared a “red zone” after the war.
Reconstruction of the village began in 1924, but a few hundred metres away from its original location. This provided the opportunity to erect the Chemin des Dames Memorial, which pays tribute to the sacrifices made during the war. It was also during this period that the German Cemetery and the French Cemetery were created.
Cerny-en-Laonnois German war cemetery
Cerny-en-Laonnois German War Cemetery was sadly operational from 1924 to 1925, and is directly linked to the French War Cemetery. Both cemeteries are situated along the D18CD road, opposite the Memorial Chapelle and the Lanterne des Morts (Lantern of the Dead).
Established in 1919 by the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (VDK), a German government association, the Cerny-en-Laonnois German War Cemetery contains the remains of 7,519 German soldiers from regiments originating from Westphalia, Brandenburg, Saxony, Württemberg, Schleswig-Holstein, and West Prussia who died in combat during various offensives between the autumn of 1914 and October 1918.
The cemetery’s discreet, anthracite-grey stone crosses create an atmosphere conducive to contemplation. You can access it directly from the French military cemetery or by following the avenue lined with majestic cypress trees. Of the 3,533 soldiers buried in individual graves, forty-six rest in unmarked graves, while the remains of those who could not be identified are preserved in the ossuary.
A visit to the cemetery at sunrise offers a surreal experience. The sun’s rays indeed cast an ethereal glow on the crosses, creating the illusion of an army of black sentinels watching over the souls of the departed. The cemetery is also bordered by a tree line, a tradition stemming from Germanic mythology. Indeed, Germanic warriors were often buried at the edge of the forest, as the trees were believed to guide them to the Warriors’ Paradise.
Among the graves, you discover twelve Jewish tombstones, engraved in Hebrew and adorned with the Star of David. Many of them are covered with a pebble, which symbolises the presence of a soul, an Ashkenazi custom originating in Palestine.
Cerny-en-Laonnois German War Cemetery underwent significant renovation work in 1974, including improvements to the access road and its expansion to accommodate new graves.
Department of Aisne – Picardie region
Coordinates: Lat 49.441734 – Long 3.665088
