VILNIUS, July 21 (RIA Novosti, Vladimir Vodo) - Lithuania and Germany cannot reach an agreement on the ownership of personal possessions of German soldiers from World War I found within a school's sports complex in the Lithuanian city of Panevejis.
Along with the soldiers' remains, more than 50 rings, a leather wallet with a few gold and silver coins, ten identification badges with personal numbers, thermometers, hot-water bottles, metal crockery, epaulets, shoes, uniform buttons, helmets, ammunition and a bayonet were discovered.
A spokesman for the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgraberfursorge German War Graves Commission, citing German law, said all personal belongings discovered, along with the remains, should be returned to Germany.
"The discovery of wallets, jewelry and other personal items would mean a lot to the relatives of the diseased. However, both countries have to agree on this," said Simone Stemmler, spokeswoman for the German Embassy in Lithuania.
According to a Panevejis cultural spokeswoman, "during the excavation, Germany did not help in any way... They now want what we have found to be returned to their country.
"By our constitution, everything on Lithuanian land is owned by Lithuania. If, of course, relatives are discovered, then from a moral point of view these items would have to be sent to them. Nevertheless, this should be regulated by governmental agreements."
More than 700 remains of German soldiers from the First World War have been discovered in Panevejis.
"This is the first World War I burial site to be excavated in Europe... It is the second largest military burial site in Lithuania. The largest to be discovered was that of Napoleon's army in Vilnius".
