41st International Hürtgenwald March

Commemoration of the Hürtgen Forest Battle

The Hürtgen Forest, a wooded low mountain range in the Eifel region between Aachen and Düren, was the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II between American and German troops in the autumn of 1944. Over 100,000 soldiers faced each other, with tens of thousands of casualties on both sides. The International Hürtgenwald March keeps the memory of this battle and its victims alive — through movement, education, and symbolic acts.

Routes through the Battlefield

Various marching routes through the former battlefield start from the Vossenack school sports field — the central event location. Routes are offered in different lengths, from short routes for families to long routes for ambitious hikers. Additionally, there is a mountain bike route. Individuals and groups can participate; the routes are signposted and sometimes guided.

Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the War Cemetery

On Friday, August 28, 2026, a solemn wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the Hürtgen war cemetery — one of the largest memorial sites for fallen German soldiers of the Western Front battle. Representatives of the Bundeswehr, the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (German War Graves Commission), foreign armed forces, and local authorities will participate.

Educational Support

A characteristic feature of the Hürtgenwald March is the educational support: lectures, exhibitions around the Vossenack school sports field, guided tours with historians and eyewitnesses. The march is not purely a sporting event but explicitly a commemorative march — the engagement with the history of the Hürtgen Forest is central.

Organizers and Registration

The organizer is the district office VdRBw (Association of Reserve Soldiers of the German Armed Forces) Eschweiler — main contact Thomas Steppuhn (OFw d.R., Phone 02403 / 961 24 60). Registration for helpers and staff is already open; participant registration will be activated in May 2026. Latest news on the official Facebook page Huertgenwaldmarsch.

Hürtgen Forest as a Place of Remembrance

The municipality of Hürtgenwald in the Düren district — consisting of the districts of Hürtgen, Vossenack, Bergstein, and several others — today lives mainly from tourism and agriculture. With the museum "Hürtgenwald 1944" in Vossenack, the Hürtgen war cemetery, and several memorials along the paths, it is a central place of remembrance of the Western Front battle of World War II.