Ehrenmal Marienfeld

The Ehrenmal Marienfeld stands in the Harsewinkel district of Marienfeld, a former monastery village in North Rhine-Westphalia. It occupies a small triangular green called the Kirmeswäldchen, planted with rhododendrons and ground cover, just south of the old monastery gate. A low iron chain circles the space, giving it the feel of a quiet memorial garden rather than a busy public square. The heart of the site is a round sandstone well-house from the early 18th century. Inside, four stone tablets list the names of 159 Marienfelders who died or went missing in the two world wars, including 41 from the First and 118 from the Second. Above them rises a life-size figure of Saint George carved from Thüster lime-sandstone, standing on a dragon and holding a drawn sword. The sculpture replaced an earlier version that had provoked local protests soon after the war. Visitors find a calm spot framed by beech trees, where the well-house’s slate roof and globe finial catch the light. The Georgsfigur dominates the interior, its helmeted figure and flowing cloak carved in clear detail. On the front of the pedestal, a steel helmet flanked by leafy branches carries the word UNVERGESSEN and the dates of both wars. Each year at Volkstrauertag and during the local shooting festival, the Heimatverein lays wreaths here to remember the fallen.