Schäferberg Forest Cemetery

The Schäferberg district of the municipality of Espenau is notable for its large number of elongated, single-story houses. Their design still gives an idea of their former purpose: they were barracks to accommodate forced laborers during the National Socialist era.
The camp consisted of 27 barracks measuring 10 x 50 m, which were built from prefabricated concrete parts and hollow blocks at the end of 1943. As of September 1944, 1,500 to 2,000 people lived here. The houses were mainly used as primitive sleeping quarters. The majority of the men and women came from France, as well as from Poland, Belgium, Russia, Serbia and the Netherlands. They were not war veterans, but deported forced laborers. Most of them worked in the Ill factory of the Henschel & Sohn company in Kassel. Some prisoners did not survive hunger, hardship and illness. A memorial stone in the nearby forest cemetery commemorates her.

The forest cemetery is a quiet forest through which a few comfortable, natural paths lead. Unlike other forest cemeteries, certain grave decorations are permitted here, so that the graves are more recognizable.