The Russian Cemetery in Allinge

The Russian Cemetery

In connection with the Danish cemetery in Allinge there is a Russian cemetery. At the eastern end there is also a memorial for the Germans who lost their lives during World War II.

The Russian cemetery is located in the western part of Allinge Cemetery and contains the graves of 30 Soviet soldiers who died during their stay on Bornholm in 1945–1946.

In the eastern part of the cemetery, 55 German refugees and soldiers are buried. These died typically in the chaotic weeks around the end of the war, when many fled from East Prussia and other areas in eastern Germany. The two graves are separated and marked differently. While the Russian part has an obelisk and memorial wall, the German part is more subdued and traditional in expression. Both parts of the cemetery serve as a memorial for civilian and military victims from the final phase of the war on Bornholm.

May 8, 1945 – April 16, 1946

While the rest of Denmark celebrated liberation on May 4 and 5, 1945, Rønne and Nexø were bombed by Russian planes. The bombings took place on May 7 and 8, destroying many old houses in the city center. On May 8 and 9, the first Russian soldiers landed in Rønne harbor. Some were sent by train to Sandvig, where they were met by both resistance fighters and curious locals. They were front-line soldiers who had recently fought on the Eastern Front against the Germans. They marched on to Allinge and were also received by the resistance movement there – in front of Slagtergården, where SuperBrugsen is located today.

For almost a year, thousands of Russian soldiers were on Bornholm. Many were accommodated on North Bornholm – in hotels, youth hostels, boarding houses or in tents in the countryside. In the forests at Hammersholm there is still an area called Russersletten, and along the slopes towards Hammersøen and Hammerknuden you can find old trenches from that time.

The Russians also used the moats at Hammershus as stables for their horses. The shoes for the horses were made at the Sjøljan youth hostel. The Russians left Bornholm on 16 April 1946. 30 Russian soldiers died during their stay and were buried in Allinge in a special cemetery at the western end, called the Russerkirkegården. In the eastern part of the cemetery are 55 German refugees and soldiers.

Bornholm and the war

Bornholm was occupied by the Germans on 10 April 1940. At first, the Germans wanted to use the island to block the Soviet fleet and therefore built large gun emplacements at Dueodde. However, after the attack on the Soviet Union, this work was abandoned. Later, the island was instead used for training – for Hitler Youth, among other things – and as a testing ground for the German fleet.

During the development of the V1 and V2 rockets in Peenemünde, the Germans used Bornholm as an observation post. One of the V1 bombs crashed on the island. Two Danish police officers documented the bomb, which later had a great impact on the Allies' decisions in England. As the Allies began to bomb Germany more intensively, the Germans built radar stations on Bornholm. The island became a kind of "outpost" from which they could warn Berlin of enemy attacks.

Towards the end of the war, refugees flocked to Bornholm from East Germany and areas such as Lithuania.

The bombing and the Soviet occupation

Peace came on May 4, 1945 - we thought. On May 7, Soviet planes bombed Nexø and Rønne. Several people were killed, and when new attacks were feared, both towns were evacuated. On May 8, the Russian planes returned and dropped many bombs, which led to great destruction and fires.

The people of Bornholm felt abandoned by the rest of Denmark. There was no mention of the situation on the radio – instead, they only heard about celebrations and joy in Copenhagen. It was not until several days later that the bombardment was mentioned publicly. On May 8, the first Russian naval vessels arrived in Rønne, and soon after, large Soviet forces followed. So many arrived that people became concerned about the future of the island.

But the Russians quickly evacuated the approximately 25,000 German soldiers and refugees who were still on the island. The Soviet troops did not leave Bornholm until April 5, 1946, after the first Danish soldiers had arrived.