Lingekopf battlefield and museum

[Grabenmaxx]

I went on a short holiday to Alsace/Elsass this week and could convince my girlfriend to make a few short stops to WW1-sites.

One that I didn't really know (except for the name) was the Lingekopf in the Vosges mountains. Very close to the pre-1918 border between France and Germany.


This was the site of heavy fighting in spring and summier 1915. 7000 German and 10.000 French soldiers were killed here. After that the front did not change anymore until the end of the war. The German side fortified the hill with bunkers and concrete trenches. Because of this everything is extremely well preserved and very nice taken care off by volunteers.

 

[Grabenmaxx]

I forgot to make pictures inside the museum (I was too captivated) except for this intruiging one of pieces of wood with bullets still inside.



It's very nice with diorama's with full dressed manneq8uins, weapons and lots of artefacten found on the battlefield.
There were quite a lot of visitors. Always nice to see that such cruel history is not forgotten.



Look from the German first line to the French troops below. No mans land was just 10 meters or sometimes even less at this point.

 

[tony v]

Another to put on the list of places to visit ! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Grabenmaxx]

The first German line. White crosses mark where the remains of French solders were found. Mostly in the seventies.


A lot of steel plates from which the Germans could peek into no mans land and from where they could take a shot. I don't know how they are called but I got one myself somewhere in the attic. It weighs a ton.





Build in places where hand grenades or some equipement could be put.



Even some old school "graffiti" to let everybody know who built this.



They are less numerous but there are also some black crosses which mark the place where German soldiers were found.

 

[Grabenmaxx]

More to the back of the hill in the second line, this huge bunker with two floors watches over the top of the Lingekopf.





You can still go inside, if you are not to big of course. Make sure to bring a light.


The backside of the hill. To the German rear.
Very beautiful forests here.





Through this tunnel the trenches and the mentioned bunker could be reached. But it has caved unfortunately.

 

[John Josef]

Thanks for sharing your journey, I very much enjoyed it.

What a beautiful location and view

 

[Lars13]

Thank you for posting, I was there two years ago and enjoyed it too.
I also took some pictures inside
Regards, Lars

 

[J.LeBrasseur]

A very cool museum and battleground, I was taken there a few years ago by a French friend, incredible day! The museum was top notch.

 

[Khukri]

Thank you for sharing!

 

[911car]

Many thanks for such an extensive and well-illustrated reportage.
I was wondering whether private metal detectors are on duty over there....

 

[Grabenmaxx]

Without a doubt people are secretly doing so.
But looking for remains of the war in France can lead to very high fines if you get caught by the Police.

 

[J.LeBrasseur]

Many thanks for such an extensive and well-illustrated reportage.
I was wondering whether private metal detectors are on duty over there....

Bruno- I do not know the official answer, but when I was there visiting, a group that was sanctioned (given permission) to search the area had found the remains of a soldier a few days before, and they were in the process of IDing etc.

James