Neuburxdorf: Memorial Sites and Routes

Neuburxdorf brings together two distinct areas of interest: memorial sites commemorating the history of the Stalag IVB prisoner-of-war camp, and routes in the Sternweg Grüne Heide cycling and hiking network. When choosing where to stay, you can consider whether historical remembrance and civic education or a route through the network of forest trails better suits your travel interests.

Remembrance and Commemoration

The soldiers’ cemetery in Neuburxdorf on Schwarzen Weg comprises a burial ground with paths, an open space with a memorial, the old cemetery chapel and a lime-tree avenue. Together, these features make the memorial site a multi-part complex and draw attention not only to the memorial, but also to the cemetery grounds, chapel and avenue.

A memorial initiated by French prisoners of war was inaugurated at the Neuburxdorf prisoner-of-war cemetery on 5 November 1944. Since the end of the war, it has served as a memorial to all prisoners who died at Stalag IVB. Its wartime inauguration and later dedication to all prisoners who died at the camp link a specific history of its creation with a comprehensive commemorative purpose.

The former site of Stalag IVB is now a place for meeting, historical and civic education, and quiet reflection. It remains significant for the future. Thus, in addition to remembrance, education and reflection are also among the perspectives associated with the site.

Putting the Camp’s History in Context

In September 1939, a pioneer unit of the German Wehrmacht began construction of the Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschafts-Stammlager M.-Stalag IVB in the fields of Neuburxdorf near Mühlberg. September 1939 therefore marks the start of construction and a chronological starting point for the camp’s history.

A history trail at the former Mühlberg camp uses 16 information panels to explain the camp’s history from 1939 to 1945 and from 1945 to 1948, as well as how this history was viewed during the GDR era. The presentation distinguishes between two consecutive periods while also addressing later perceptions.

The Mühlberg Museum preserves the memory of the Stalag IVB prisoner-of-war camp and the subsequent NKVD Special Camp No. 1 in Neuburxdorf near Mühlberg. For a chronological overview, the start of construction in 1939, the camp’s history through 1948, and later perceptions during the GDR era can thus be considered separately.

Trails in the Sternweg Grüne Heide Network

The Eisenbahnerweg is a specific option for planning your trip: in the Sternweg Grüne Heide cycling and hiking network, this is the name of the route starting in Neuburxdorf, which is approximately 6.1 kilometres long. The approximate distance provides a useful guide when planning the route into your day.

In the same network, cycling and hiking trails marked with star-shaped signs lead from the surrounding villages to the forest stations Rauten, Klonplantage and Waldhütte. While the starting point and approximate length of the Eisenbahnerweg are specified, this part of the network features several forest stations as destinations. The individual route and the network with its stations can therefore be considered at different scales when planning.

An information panel at the Waldhütte on the Sternweg Grüne Heide explains why pine trees from Brandenburg were cloned and can now be found throughout Germany. The topic thus extends from pines originating in Brandenburg to their distribution across the country. For travellers interested in natural and landscape-related background as well as a route, the panel offers a distinct thematic focus.

Discover more destinations: Maasdorf

View the broader travel overview: Bad Liebenwerda.