Memorial event in Landau: 80 years of freedom celebrate on May 8th!

Memorial event in Landau: 80 years of freedom celebrate on May 8th!

On May 5, 2025, the celebrations will be celebrated in the collegiate church in Landau on the 80th anniversary of the unconditional surrender of National Socialist Germany. The event is reminiscent of May 8, 1945, the day when the Second World War was officially ended in Europe. The city of Landau and the working group of Christian churches have organized the commemoration, which will begin at 5 p.m. On this important day, interested citizens are invited to participate.

The course of the event also provides a musical accompaniment, which is designed by the cantor Anna Linß. The speakers include Mayor Dominik Geißler, Dean Volker Janke and city archivist Christine Kohl-Langer, as well as Pastor Heike Messerschmidt and Bernhard Scholten from the old Catholic community. These groups symbolically stand for the commitment of the community to keep up with the memory of the dark time of history.

day of liberation

May 8th is celebrated not only in Germany, but also in many other European countries as a day of liberation. According to denham Natalyia , this day is recognized as a symbol for the end of National Socialist rule. May 8th is a holiday in Berlin, and numerous political groups, including the left, organize rallies and commemorative celebrations.

The historical background of celebration goes back to the surrender of the German Wehrmacht, which on 8./9. May 1945 was signed in Berlin-Karlshorst, informed wikipedia . In many countries, the celebrations are called "Victory in Europe Day" or "Day of Victory". These events not only commemorate the end of the war, but also serve as a warning that flowers and peace are not a matter of course in history.

international perspectives

May 8th has different meanings in different countries. In the GDR it was celebrated from 1950 to 1967 and again in 1985 as a public holiday. In today's Federal Republic of Germany, May 8th is increasingly recognized as a political day of commemoration. The 40th anniversary in 1985 was even referred to by Richard von Weizsäcker as the "day of liberation". In other European countries, as in Italy, April 25 is celebrated as the day of liberation - both data are related to the end of fascism in Europe.

Ukraine has also established May 8th on May 8th as the day of victory over National Socialism since 2015, which underlines the importance of this date. The focus is increasingly moving from the military defeat to the liberation of a inhumane ideology, which emphasizes the continued relevance of memory of this time.

The memorial event in Landau is therefore part of a far -reaching network of memories and celebrations that stimulates reflection on the past and at the same time sets a sign of hope for the future.