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German War Graves Commission Reburies 107 WWII Soldiers Near Berlin

Recent exhumations in Poland and a ceremonial burial at Halbe reflect ongoing efforts to locate and honor the identities of millions of missing German soldiers from World War II.

with the remains of fallen German soldiers of WWII to the grave during a funeral service at a memorial site for fallen soldiers in Halbe, Germany, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Workers of the German War Graves Commission exhume the remains of German WWII soldiers in Ostrołęka, Poland, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
German soldiers carry the small coffins with the remains of fallen German soldiers of WWII to the grave during a funeral service at a memorial site for fallen soldiers in Halbe, Germany, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
A student pays tribute to the small coffins with the remains of fallen German soldiers of WWII during a funeral service at a memorial site for fallen soldiers in Halbe, Germany, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Overview

  • The remains of 107 Wehrmacht soldiers were reburied in Halbe, Germany, in late April 2025, following decades of recovery efforts by the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge.
  • A recent exhumation in Ostrołęka, Poland, uncovered skeletons and preserved dog tags, aiding future identification and planned reburial later this year.
  • The Volksbund has recovered and reburied over one million soldiers since gaining access to former Eastern Bloc territories in the 1990s, with an estimated two million still unaccounted for.
  • The organization emphasizes a humanitarian mission to restore identities and provide dignified burials, while acknowledging the complex legacy of the soldiers' roles in Nazi Germany's military.
  • Families of the missing, like Martina Seiger and Wolfgang Bartsch, continue to seek closure, though many burial sites remain obscured by urban development or lost to history.