Soldatenfriedhof mit Denkmälern

St. Michael in der Obersteiermark

A tribute to the dead, a reminder to the living.

A relic from the time of the First World War is the military cemetery, which is located at the foot of the Annaberg. On August 18, 1915, after the first death in the military hospital, it was established for the deceased soldiers.

Until the end of the war in 1918, a total of 410 dead from various countries of the monarchy were buried there. Most of the names are known, only in the last days of the war two mass graves were dug, in which unknown soldiers lie.

In a crypt of the cemetery there are numerous human bones that came to light during the road construction near the "Walpurgiskirche" and most of them are from the battle of 1809. These human remains were transferred to the military cemetery on May 25, 1935 and buried in this tomb. Above this tomb is a memorial stone to the fallen of this battle. It consists of a granite stone with an iron ball, an eagle and the inscription "1809".

The military cemetery has been maintained for years by the Black Cross and the ÖKB local group of St. Michael. For decades, school children have also been decorating the graves of those resting there before All Saints' Day, under the guidance of the teaching staff. Since 1954, a torchlight procession to the military cemetery has taken place on October 31, with the participation of the local population and local associations.