Rudolstadt (dpa/th) - According to the German War Graves Commission, around a third of the war graves in Thuringia still need to be renovated. In addition to preserving the approximately 570 war cemeteries in the Free State, more must be done for the educational use of these memorials, said the managing director of the state association, Henrik Hug, of the German Press Agency on the occasion of the day of national mourning.
"With the increasing time between the two world wars, it is all the more important to let the graves speak," stressed Hug. The fate of the victims and also the historical background to the local events could be made visible with information boards. Such plaques already exist in the cemeteries in Apolda, Bad Salzungen and Erfurt.
However, for the care and maintenance of the war graves as well as for educational training, the funds provided annually by the state would have to be increased, Hug demanded. At least one million euros per year is necessary. The funds made available in Thuringia in the amount of around 600,000 euros per year have not been increased for years.
Throughout Thuringia, the victims of war and tyranny are remembered on Sunday. The central celebration with Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) will be held in Rudolstadt in the early afternoon.
