Very impressive: a visit to the American Cemetery Margraten. More than 8,000 American soldiers who died during the Second World War are buried here.
From cropland to graveyard
Most of the 8,301 soldiers buried in the cemetery (formerly farmland) died during the liberation of Limburg, the Battle of the Bulge – nearly 77,000 Americans lost their lives – and during the fighting in the Ruhr area.
Ungrateful task
The cemetery was established in November 1944, barely two months after the liberation of South Limburg. The cemetery was difficult to construct due to the wet, swampy clay soil. The workers who dug the graves were not only German prisoners of war but also many black American soldiers, who had no place in combat units at that time. They were given the thankless task of burying their white comrades. Upon returning home, they were once again confronted with racial segregation.
Five hundred bodies per day
Digging the graves was hard labour, physically and emotionally. An almost endless stream of fresh bodies arrived, sometimes five hundred per day. After the war had ended, nearly 18 thousand bodies were buried. This includes the German soldiers, who were moved later to the German military cemetery in Ysselsteyn.
Final resting place for 8,301 Americans
In 1948, they began to exhume and honourably rebury all the bodies in coffins. Approximately ten thousand bodies were repatriated to the United States. Eventually, 8,301 Americans are permanently buried in Margraten. One grave is empty these days, as a body was returned to the US in 2001. In one grave, two unidentified Americans are buried, so there are still as many graves as bodies at the cemetery.
Final decor
In the 50s, the cemetery reached its final form. Each grave was marked with a white marble tomb cross or a Star of David. During this period, the memorial tower was constructed, along with a chapel and a memorial wall bearing the names of approximately 1,700 missing individuals. In 1960, the cemetery was officially opened by Queen Juliana. In 2005, US President George W. Bush visited the cemetery during his trip to the Netherlands.
Perpetual loan
To dispel a common misconception: the cemetery is not US territory. The area of respect and homage is given to the Americans as a ‘perpetual loan’. Every year the dead in the cemetery are commemorated on the Sunday before Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, when the Americans commemorate their fallen soldiers.
Since 1945 it has been possible to adopt a grave. Those who wish to adopt a grave will be put on a waiting list because all graves are adopted.
Opening hours
The cemetery is open every day from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm, except on 25th December and 1st January. The sea of white crosses and the awareness that all the fallen soldiers have been the reason for our freedom, must leave an indelible impression on every visitor.
