In 1917, hundreds of soldiers died in the castle grounds of Zonnebeke. Most were then buried on site. After the war, the exhumation coordinates of every body found in a Commonwealth cemetery are recorded. For example, we know that more than 170 Allies were found in the castle park. Unfortunately, no excavation data are known of German war dead. Yet we know that hundreds of Germans died here.

This 3.2 km walk takes you through the park past places where bodies were exhumed. They are marked with 'reflection points', beacons that remind of the dramas that took place there (the painted lines indicate the number of fallen soldiers who had a field grave there; a red line means that the body could be identified). Along the way you will meet some of the men who fought and died near the museum.

A paper walking map is available at the Passchendaele Museum.

This walk is not fully accessible for wheelchair users. Junctions 4 and 5 are difficult to reach for people with a mobile disability. There is also a wheelchair-accessible version (komoot.com/nl-nl/tour/1021617442) of this route.

Would you like to know more about the castle grounds during the Battle of Passchendaele? Then visit our online exhibition (digi-expo.passchendaele.be/reflectiepunt) or visit the Passchendaele Museum where various objects are displayed that are linked to these fallen soldiers.

Translated by Google •

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

January 31, 2023

The Passchendaele Museum presents the historical story of the First World War in a moving and graphic way, with special attention to the Battle of Passchendaele. This 1917 battle is known as one of the most gruesome battles of the First World War, with more than half a million victims for a territorial gain of only eight kilometers. 'Passchendaele' not only became a household name in the history of the First World War, it also became the symbol of the great senselessness of war violence in all its horror. The Passchendaele Museum combines the interactive setup of a contemporary museum with the exceptional experience aspect of the Dugout & Trench.

More information at toerismewesthoek.be//memorial-museum-passchendaele-1917

Translated by Google •

Passchendaele Museum

March 14, 2023

On 26 September 1917, Allied troops reached Zonnebeke. Eight days later, they captured the rest of the village. Most of the dead found in the park after the war died during this period. They were mainly Australians and British, although Canadians and a few South Africans were also exhumed. The majority were not identified.

You start your walk at the entrance to the museum. (1) This is the place where Australian-Jewish shoemaker William Hyams was exhumed in 1920. Close to the place where he stood ready to attack on 4 October 1917. William is now buried at Buttes New British Cemetery, Plot 29, Row C, Grave 7.

Walk towards the large entrance gate on Ieperstraat. Turn right there. A little further on is the Passchendaele Research Center. This is the knowledge centre of the Passchendaele Museum, where the research that made this project possible took place. After the war, a body was also exhumed here: Robert Berry, who died on November 12, 1917.

Translated by Google •

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Location: Zonnebeke, Ieper, West Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917

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