The remains of more than 200 German soldiers buried alive in a tunnel in northeastern France during World War I they will not be restored.

Instead, the German government decided to declare the burial site a war memorial and put it under state protection.

The German Warriors’ Burial Committee, the People’s Union and the French government announced the decision at the Caverne du Dragon museum in northeast France on Friday afternoon.

“Efforts to bring in the remains in 2021 and 2022 have proven very difficult,” a Volksbund spokesman told CNN on Friday, adding that there have been “many attempts” to open a “very deep and very long” tunnel that is in nature. a nature reserve with “sandy soil still contaminated with munitions”.

Although the Franco-German team managed to get through the tunnel up to 64 meters, “no remains found” the representative said.

Many of the battles of World War I took place between French military forces and German forces stationed on the Chemin des Dames, a ridge between two valleys.

On May 4, 1917, in one of the largest battles of the war, the French army bombarded German fighters with heavy artillery. According to the Volksbund, the shell hit the entrance to the Winterberg tunnel on the Chemin des Dames.

Some German soldiers from Baden’s 111th Reserve Infantry Regiment managed to escape by going deeper into a tunnel where stored ammunition exploded and poisonous fumes were released.

The tunnel entrance collapsed during the attack and only three soldiers from a unit of over 200 survived. The rest drowned, died of thirst, or shot themselves.

Over the years, there have been numerous – and illegal – attempts to find the entrance to the underground tunnel in the Vauclair forest, according to the Volksbund.

Last May, more than a century after the event and after several years of work, the People’s Union and French partners confirmed the location of the tunnel, revealing a large cavity deep underground with an intact burial site.

By marking this place as a memorial, the German and French authorities hope to give this place the dignity it deserves and protect the resting place of the soldiers. “This ensures that the soldiers will continue to rest in peace,” said a spokesman for the Volksbund.

“Over the past few years, we have been working with our French partners in a spirit of trust,” said Dirk Bakken, Managing Director of the Volksbund.

“We are very grateful for this – and are pleased to present a joint solution today,” he added.

Once the legal requirements for a military cemetery are met, planning for a memorial will begin and the site could open next year, according to French and German officials.

Source: CNN