Of the total of 2,229 dead, 950 are war victims from other nations, 1,279 are Germans. The cemetery of honour is located within a chain of bunkers of the former Westwall. From the room of honour, visitors have a view of the cemetery and the bunker ruins opposite, on which a high group of crosses stands as a focal point.
The area around the border triangle is rich in historical events. Most recently, the Besch-Remich-Nennig area experienced the heavy winter battle of 1944/45 at Orscholzriegel. Many of the victims of these battles lie in this cemetery of honour. Others are buried in Kastel near Saarburg and at the Sandweiler and Clausen war cemeteries in Luxembourg.
The Besch war cemetery was established by the Saarland government before the reunification of the Federal Republic. It was later expanded by adding additional beds and finally extended by the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V. (German War Graves Commission) on behalf of the state government. The war dead are commemorated every year on Remembrance Day (two Sundays before the 1st Sunday in Advent) with a respectful ceremony attended by many local citizens and soldiers from the German Armed Forces.
The commemoration of the victims of war is a reminder to preserve peace and to maintain and cultivate good relations with neighbouring countries. In a sense, the Schengen Agreement is an expression of the advantages of peaceful relations from which everyone can benefit.
