in Madrid: La Almudena cemetery, Blue Division Memorial
According to the official tourism website of Madrid city council “Our Lady of Almudena Cemetery, located in the Ciudad Lineal District, is the city’s main necropolis, whose incalculable value comes from its history and the works of art and graves of illustrious people it houses. The cemetery takes its name from the Virgin of Almudena, the patron saint of the city. In area, it is the largest in Madrid and one of the biggest in Western Europe. Created in 1884, it was officially opened in 1925. It includes three burial areas: the Civil Graveyard, the Hebrew Graveyard and the Graveyard of Our Lady of the Almudena (Nuestra Señora de La Almudena), where the Garden of Remembrance is also located.” Closer to the main portico there is a monument dedicated to the soldiers of the Blue Division, a volunteer corps that participated in World War II against the USSR forces. The Blue Division fought on the Eastern Front and participated in the siege of Leningrad, but was withdrawn from the Front after Allied pressure in October 1943 and was returned to Spain soon afterwards. Several thousand non-returners were incorporated into the 121st Infantry Division and eventually into the Waffen-SS. These photos were taken in January 2022.