Memorial September 11, 1944

When the Allied reconnaissance patrol of the 5th US Armored Division crossed the German Reich border for the first time in Stolzemburg on 11 September 1944, this news went around the world and the village in the Our valley moved into the spotlight of World History.

On the 50th anniversary of this historic event, on 11 September 1994, a monument consisting of three tank barriers in miniature was inaugurated next to the bridge. Beforehand, an explanatory board set up by CEBA (« Cercle d'Études sur la Bataille des Ardennes ») recalled the events that had taken place on this site.

For the 80th anniversary, the Commune of Pütscheid commissioned Mr. Volker Teuschler from the company CUBE Werbung GmbH to design and build a new, striking monument for this historical site.

As the bridge was partially destroyed, 3 soldiers crossed the Our at the old mill weir. (See photo on the left panel, top left. Due to the construction of the Vianden pumped storage power station at the beginning of the 1960s, the landscape in the village of Stolzemburg was permanently changed).

Sgt Holzinger, Lt Delille and Pfc Collignan cautiously approached the village of Keppeshausen on the German side.

Text of Marcel Scheidweiler