Austrian-Hungarian Cemetery in Brunico

The Kühbergl, a small elevation near the town of Brunico on the road towards Riscone, is home to a military cemetery that is a protected monument. Its history goes back to 1915: During World War I there were several military hospitals in Brunico. When the local cemetery no longer had room for the many dead, a military cemetery was built on the Kühbergl under the direction of architect Ing. A. Bechtold from Bregenz, an acting military officer in Brunico. Russian and Serbian prisoners of war carried out the burial work in those years.

The numerous tombs of different nations were decorated with simple wooden crosses, crescents and Jewish stars. In 1919, the "Frauenkomitee Waldfriedhof Bruneck" (Women's Committee Forest Cemetery Brunico) was founded, which still exists today and continues to take care of the military cemetery. In 1936 the chapel was built. In the meantime, Italian and German fallen soldiers were exhumed and transferred to other sites: Today, the military cemetery of Brunico counts 669 tombs of Austro-Hungarian soldiers as well as 103 tombs of Russian, 13 Serbian and 7 Romanian prisoners of war. An entrance gate welcomes visitors.

The only buildings in the fenced area are the chapel and a fountain of tears. And how to reach the Austrian-Hungarian Cemetery in Brunico - "Waldfriedhof Bruneck" in German, "Cimitero austro-ungarico di Brunico" in Italian? From the Riscone Road at the end of Brunico, a staircase leads up to the cemetery in a few minutes. Parking is possible in the surrounding car parks, the entrance can also be reached on foot from the town centre in a few minutes. Further military cemeteries can be found in Merano and in the Val Passiria valley (French Cemetery).