The Battle of Tannenberg, which took place from August 26 to 30, 1914, was a significant battle between Russian and German forces during the East Prussian operation of World War I. It ended in a complete defeat for the Russian army.

German politicians sought to symbolically link this battle with the Battle of Grunwald, which occurred in the same area 500 years earlier. As a result, a large Tannenberg memorial was created, where the family of President Hindenburg was buried.

During World War II, as Soviet troops approached, General Reinhardt ordered the memorial to be blown up to prevent its desecration. The remains of Hindenburg and his wife were removed from their sarcophagi and transported to West Germany, where they were reburied in St. Elizabeth's Church in Marburg.

General Samsonov, who commanded the Russian forces, preferred suicide to capture. A monument in the shape of a pyramid was erected at the site of his death.