Christmas Truce service remembers German dead
Published: 17 December 2014
A Memorial Chapel service remembers the first German member of the University community to perish in the Great War, bringing back memories of the famous 1914 Christmas Truce.
The University of Glasgow has marked the centenary of the death of the first member of the University community of German descent to fall in the First World War. A unique service of remembrance was held brining back memories of the legendary 1914 Christmas Truce.
A cross was planted in the University’s Memorial Garden on 18 December to mark the centenary of the death of former student Franz Freidrich Schlör (1888 – 1914). He is believed to be the first German student from a UK university to be honoured in this way.
Tributes were also paid to Colonel John Esslemont Adams, a graduate of the University, who secured the truce in 1914 and led the famous service on the battlefield.
Lieutenant Christian Knorn, a German officer in the University’s Officers' Training Corps (GSUOTC), planted the cross for Schlör and a number of other German soldiers who fell, many of whom remain nameless. The service was also attended by representatives of the University’s British and German communities.
Franz Schlör is the first soldier from the Central Powers to be honoured by the University of Glasgow’s Great War Project which marks the death of every member of the University community to be killed in World War regardless of which side they fought on.
The service of remembrance was held in the University of Glasgow’s Memorial Chapel and was led by University Chaplain, the Reverend Stuart MacQuarrie.
The Christmas Truce Service of Remembrance is part of a continuing project, being run by the University of Glasgow’s Archive Services to update the University’s Roll of Honour with details of every member staff and student who was killed during WWI.
In total, 761 members of the University community were killed in the war whilst serving in various services and theatres of combat.
Over the next four years, small wooden crosses will be planted in the Memorial Garden for every member of the University of Glasgow community on the 100th anniversary of their death.
Lesley Richmond, Head of the University of Glasgow’s Archive Services, said: “This is a hugely significant moment for us as this shall be the first time the University commemorates the life of a student from outside the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth who died in the Great War.
“One of the aims of our project is to learn more about everyone who was part of our community here at the University, regardless of which side they fought on. We are very proud of our alumni community here and it’s humbling to be involved in this very moving project to commemorate those who were lost in World War One.”
Just before the turn of the century there was a vibrant German community in Glasgow. Between 1900 and 1914, 26 (12 female and 14 male) German-born students attended the University, with the vast majority only matriculating to study a short course as part of a wider degree. After the summer session of 1914 there were no German-born students matriculated at the University until 1920.
First published: 17 December 2014
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