Memorial to German First World War Internees, New Southgate Cemetery

Summary

Civilian war memorial. Erected at an unknown date after the First World War.

Reasons for Designation

The memorial to German First World War Internees, in New Southgate Cemetery, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reason:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on a particular community, and as witness to one little-remembered aspect of the First World War, namely the internment of German civilians.

History

Over the course of the First World War German civilians – deemed to be enemy aliens, often with their English families - were interred at Alexandra Palace in a prison camp that was open from 1915-19. At any one time there were as many as 3,000 internees, and over the course of the war some 17,000 men had passed through the camp. Conditions were generally good, with facilities both for sport and entertainment.

Nevertheless, over the five years there were deaths, and 51 internees who died were buried in New Southgate Cemetery, in what is now the London Borough of Barnet; their names are recorded on this memorial there, together with the dates they died.

The cemetery (initially known as the Great Northern London Cemetery) was set up by Act in 1855, and was one of the cemeteries established around London c1850 as burial provision was reformed. As well as the large number of burials accommodated since then, the cemetery contains the graves of 109 Commonwealth service personnel, two Belgian soldiers, and the 51 German prisoners from the First World War, and additionally the graves of 86 Commonwealth service personnel from the Second World War.

The date of the memorial is not known, but the degree of weathering to the inscription on the base suggests a date nearer to the First World War than to the present. Originally it stood on the other side of the path, opposite its current (2016) position. The memorial was restored by the cemetery management in 1993.

Details

The memorial comprises a low stone screen wall with a shallow pediment to the top standing on a simple two-stepped base. Occupying most of the face of the memorial is a black metal plaque carrying in raised lettering the names of the 51 dead and their dates of death. On the upper step of the base is inscribed: HIER RUHEN IN GOTT DIE GENANNTEN/ 51 DEUTSCHEN MAENNER DIE WAEHREND/ DES WELTKRIEGES IN ZIVILGE/ FANGENSCHAFT GESTORBEN SIND [HERE REST IN GOD THESE 51 GERMAN MEN WHO DIED DURING THE WORLD WAR IN CIVILIAN IMPRISONMENT].


This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 9 February 2017.

Sources

Websites
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, accessed 8 February 2016 from http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/39625/NEW%20SOUTHGATE%20CEMETERY
Alexandra Palace, accessed 8 February 2016 from http://www.alexandrapalace.com/news/alexandra-palace-launches-exhibition-commemorating-ww1-heritage/
War Memorials Register, accessed 8 February 2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/10969
War Memorials Online, accessed 9 February 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/231083

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