A Bloody Past in Paradise

An unexpected find during my exploration of the Alsace Wine Route: a National Necropolis that pays homage to 1601 heroes of the French First Army who died defending what was then known as the Colmar pocket. This necropolis was built at Shigolsheim heights, which overlooks the Alsatian vineyards, villages, and the Vosges mountains. In early 1945, allied and German forces fought a series of battles in the German-occupied Colmar Pocket. During these battles the Sigolsheim Heights saw violent fighting, with German forces calling the place “Blutberg” (Bloody Mountain). It was a strategic position that overlooked much of the lower lying terrain and had to be held at all cost. German forces resist...View all