Romanian heroes of the First World War were commemorated by Metropolitan Iosif at Soultzmatt, France. The event was organised by several Romanian Orthodox communities in the region.
The commemoration took place on Saturday at the only and largest Romanian military cemetery in France. The memorial service was followed by a wreath-laying ceremony.
Numerous Romanian faithful from France, Switzerland and Germany attended the event, alongside representatives of Romanian and French authorities, public officials, Romanian parliamentarians and members of local government.
“This day of remembrance at Soultzmatt was not only a historical commemoration but also a living testimony to the unity of Romanians in the diaspora, to their bond with the Church and with their ancestral values. In an atmosphere of celebration, peace and fraternity, all those present departed with enlightened hearts and the conviction that the memory of our heroes remains alive through prayer, faith and communion,” representatives of the Metropolis said in a statement.
An important moment of the gathering was the presentation delivered by French historian Christophe Woehrlé, who identified and documented the names of many Romanian soldiers buried in military cemeteries. The programme also included an exhibition of icons dedicated to the recently canonised holy women by the Romanian Orthodox Church.
The Soultzmatt Cemetery
The Romanian military cemetery of Val du Pâtre (“Shepherd’s Valley”), located near the town of Soultzmatt in the Alsace region, is the largest Romanian war cemetery in France. Situated in a wooded area of the Vosges Mountains, it preserves the memory of hundreds of Romanian servicemen who lost their lives in captivity during the First World War.
The necropolis was established on the grounds of a former prisoner-of-war camp, where numerous Romanian soldiers endured extremely harsh conditions. Contemporary records indicate that many of them died from hunger, cold, disease and inhumane treatment between 1917 and 1918.
A total of 678 Romanian servicemen are buried in the cemetery, including 553 in individual graves. Two mass graves contain the remains of 125 Romanian prisoners who perished following a tragic incident during the winter of 1917.
The significance of this place of remembrance has long been recognised by members of the Romanian Royal Family. King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie took part in the blessing of the cemetery and commemorations of Romanian heroes at Soultzmatt in the years following the war. In 1986, the cemetery was visited by King Michael I and Queen Anne.
Photo: Fr. Alexandru Ojică
