Ypres? The Germans have forgotten …

During my research journey I visited the Belgian city of Ypres (German: Ypern, Dutch: Ieper) last year. I was quite impressed that so many people from the Commonwealth – especially British – visit Ypres and Flanders to remember the First World War, but I hardly spotted any other Germans there. It seemed to me as if they do not visit the places to remember that time, so I asked myself: How many people in Germany actually know Ypres, whose name is synonymous with the horrors of trench warfare?

Therefore, I carried out a study and asked 100 people in Germany where Ypres is located and what they know about or associate with it.

“Ypern [Ypres]? I only know Zypern [Cyprus]”, was the standard answer I received. I found out that 23 % associated Ypres with this Mediterranean island, while 22 % located it in Scandinavia, probably due to the letter “Y” that occurs in the name of the Swedish city of Ystad.

“Ypern?”, said one participant. “That sounds Swedish. I associate red houses, green nature and blue lakes with it – like Bullerby.”

Unfortunately, what Ypres is known for is exactly the opposite of Bullerby. During the First World War, the Germans used poison gas here for the first time and destroyed the city almost completely. Yet only 5 % of all my participants could associate Ypres with the war, 3 % knew about the first use of poison gas in its vicinity and 2 % were aware that the city had been destroyed. Strikingly, all people who knew this were male and born in the 1950s or 1960s. Furthermore, only 5 % of all respondents were able to locate Ypres in Belgium, and 0 % have already been to the city.

I also asked for other places the participants would associate with the First World War, they usually named Verdun, the Somme, Versailles and Austria, but also places and events which clearly relate to the Second World War.

Many participants stated that the Second World War completely overshadowed the First World War and is much more present in the German culture of remembrance. Some people believed that the First World War no longer has any relevance and emphasised that they have nothing to do with it.

Some also mentioned that the First World War was rarely a topic in school and even two of the younger participants who had specialised in history in school could not relate to Ypres.

I find that worrying. Not only that 95 % did not know the city, also that there is such little knowledge about the First World War in general.

Currently, I am in Ypres again to spend several months here. I want to get to know the place better, come into contact with other nationalities to learn about how they remember and write my next book which partly deals with Ypres and Flanders in the First World War. I hope to contribute with my book that the historic events in and around Ypres will not be forgotten in Germany.

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