Cemetery of French Prisoners of War in Szczecin

The Cemetery of French Prisoners of War is a small military necropolis in the northern part of the Zawadzkiego estate in Szczecin, on Litewska Street. French soldiers who died in a prisoner-of-war camp during the Franco-Prussian War are buried there.

The camp in Krzekowo and the cemetery

On the training ground in Krzekowo (Kreckow) the military authorities set up a prisoner-of-war camp in which about 1,700 French soldiers were held. Conditions were extremely bad and more than 600 people died. The bodies of 248 soldiers were laid in the cemetery. The number of those buried is given differently in different places: the plaque unveiled in 1997 lists 244 people.

What it looks like today

The site was originally surrounded by a cast-iron fence, which has not survived. In the middle of the cemetery, overgrown with lime trees, stands a cross, and beside it a plaque commemorating those buried. The cemetery is entered in the heritage register. Nearby lies the Szczecin Central Cemetery.

Practical information

• Szczecin, Litewska Street, Zawadzkiego-Klonowica estate.
• The site is small and is a place for a quiet visit. The current state of upkeep should be checked with the cemetery administrator.