Buried German soldiers to remain in tunnel in France

The bodies of over 100 World War I soldiers are not to be recovered from a tunnel in France where they were buried over a century ago, German and French authorities have announced, reported dpa.

The buried soldiers are mainly from the German and Prussian 111th Infantry Division formed in 1915.

After several drill tests, authorities determined "that a recovery of the deceased soldiers resting in the Winterberg tunnel would only be possible with a great deal of effort," the Südkurier newspaper reported on Saturday, quoting from a letter from the Foreign Office to parliament member Andreas Jung.

Instead, the location is to be marked with a headstone in memory of the soldiers.

On May 4, 1917, the French heavily shelled the entrance to the Winterberg tunnel near the northern town of Craonne. The main entrance was buried and the soldiers died inside.

It was only recently discovered exactly where the tunnel is located.

According to the newspaper report, the planned "Winterberg Tunnel War Gravesite" is to be built in the forest near Craonne and the German Foreign Office will help to finance it.

Construction is expected to begin at the end of 2023 and the opening is scheduled for August 2024.

The state archives of the south-western German city of Karlsruhe dedicated an exhibition to the event this year to be displayed across Germany, France and Belgium. It is primarily designed for schoolchildren.