World War One Sites - The NETWORLD Database
Mausoleum of the WWI Heroes in Comana, Romania
Mausoleum of the Heroes Fallen during World War One is a historical monument located in the courtyard of Comana Monastery in Comana Commune, in Giurgiu County. The monument was erected in memory of the heroes who sacrificed their lives during the First World War.
In 1919, the "Heroes Cult Society" decided to build a mausoleum inside the boundaries of Comana Monastery, based on the instructions given by the great Romanian historian Nicolae Iorga.
The Mausoleum construction works began in 1926 and were completed in 1932. The Mausoleum featured a rectangular shape and the two-shade roof was erected on the ruins of the former chapel of the Monastery. The main facade of the ossuary contained architectural elements that were inspired by those of the Comana Monastery: the columns, the archway, and the chapels. The materials used to build the Mausoleum were cement and bricks, as well as marble, for the plates.
Inside the Mausoleum lies a stone sarcophagus built with various floral motifs displayed on the sides. On the front side is mounted a marble plate that reads: "They who have fallen for their country / On the rich field / Sacrificing a whole spring / They have not died but they have risen from the dead." (Mircea Dem. Radulescu).
In May 2002, a memorial plaque was placed on the front of the Mausoleum in memory of five British aviators who crashed into Comana Lake on 7 May 7 1944.
Source:
http://www.cnr-unesco.ro/Comana.pdf
Romania, South Muntenia Region
Type of WWI-heritage
- War monument
Dimensions
Height = 4.5 m, length = 14.5 m and width = 6.5 m
State of repair/preservation
Restored in 2016 after an extensive refurbishment process, funded by the European Union under the Regional Operational Program.
Historical WWI Context
- WWI heritage related historical context: In the autumn of 1916, inside Comana Monastery, the German troops, under the command of Field marshal Anton Ludwig August von Mackensen, began the construction of a campaign cemetery where 720 heroes were buried, of which: 553 Romanian soldiers (509 unidentified and 44 identified ones); 151 unidentified Bulgarian soldiers; ten unidentified Turkish soldiers; four unidentified Russian soldiers; two German soldiers (one unidentified and one identified one). Along with them, in the 33 individual crypts represented by 19 niches in the Mausoleum, a total of 42 Romanian heroes (27 identified and 15 unidentified ones) were buried.
2. Broader national WWI-context: A history of Romania's participation in World War I can be found on the following website: http://www.marelerazboi.ro/.
Recent Images
Historical Images
State of legal protection
This is an objective included in the List of Historic Monuments, classified as historical monuments type A (code: GR-II-m-A-14967.06), according to the Order of the Minister of Culture no. 2.828/2015
Owner
Comana Monastery
Kind of cultural use of WWI
Opening
The access of the visitors is not restricted.
Entrance Fee
No entrance fee applicable
Information regarding cities, villages, other touristic attractions (non-WWI) nearby
Accomodation
Public Transport
There are regular minibus journeys on the Bucharest - Comana route that facilitate the access of the visitors: journeys take place from hour to hour, and the travel time is of about one hour. (https://aventuraparc.teamexpert.ro/microbuz-pana-la-comana/ )
Further information sources
Other heritage sites nearby
Museums Private Collections
Mausoleum of the WWI Heroes in Comana, Romania
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