May 8, 2025, marks 80 years since Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allied nations. How is the country recognising its historical defeat?
Tracing the downfall of Nazi Germany, the last few weeks have seen international figures attend memorial ceremonies at former concentration camps, marking 80 years to the day that prisoners were liberated by the Second World War’s Allied forces; Buchenwald on April 11, Bergen-Belsen on April 15 and Dachau on April 29.
On May 7, 1945, on the first floor of an old schoolhouse in Riems, France, Germany would sign a surrender document which the Soviets then refused to recognise. The next day, three Nazi officials would sign the "German Instrument of Surrender" in Berlin.
Now, on May 8, 2025, also known as Victory in Europe Day, Germany and much of the world will recognise 80 years since the Third Reich surrendered unconditionally to the United Kingdom, Soviet Union, United States, France and other Allied powers.
To recognise the victory in Europe Day, known as Tag der Befreiung (Liberation Day) in Germany, residents living in Berlin will be able to enjoy a public holiday.
The May 8 holiday is a one-off for 2025 and will not be recognised in any of Germany’s other 15 federal states. Alongside the holiday, the city will host a 10-day calendar of over 100 related events between May 2 and 11.
Highlights include an open-air exhibition titled “Finally, peace?!” in front of the Brandenburg Gate, tours of the Fichtebunker, and an exhibition on resistance groups active against the Nazis towards the end of the war.
While May 8 will not be a public holiday in Germany’s other states, there are events across the country to recognise the occasion.
In Frankfurt, an “antifascist info market” will be held on the Römerplatz. In Cologne, the Spanischer Bau will open an exhibition of photographs by Lee Miller, the photojournalist perhaps best known for her self-portrait taken in Hitler’s (then recently) abandoned bathtub in Munich.
In Lüneburg near Hamburg, the Marktplatz will host a festival against fascism, with bands, artists and activities for children. In Munich, a commemoration concert will be held at the Isarphilharmonie, composed of the Munich Orchestra and the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra.
If you are unsure of how your town or city is commemorating Tag der Befreiung, check your municipality's website for details.
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