Today, on May 8, official commemorative events were held in Germany to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe and the country’s liberation from National Socialism, reports Adyrna, citing DW.
In the morning, the heads of Germany’s five constitutional bodies attended a service at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin. After the ceremony, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the new Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, Bundesrat President Anke Rehlinger, and Federal Constitutional Court President Stephan Harbarth laid wreaths at Germany’s central war and tyranny memorial, the Neue Wache.
At 12:30 p.m. Berlin time (3:30 p.m. Astana time), a “Hour of Remembrance” began in the Bundestag. Addressing the parliament, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed gratitude to the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition.
“Today, even after 80 years, we wholeheartedly thank the Allied forces and resistance movements across Europe who gave their all and made immense sacrifices to defeat the Nazi regime. We will never forget! We thank the Americans, the British, the French, and everyone who fought against Nazi terror. We also recognize the contribution of the Red Army — Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, and all who served in it. At least 13 million soldiers and as many civilians from that army perished,” said Germany’s head of state.
It is worth noting that Victory Day is celebrated on May 8 in Western countries, while in the CIS countries it is marked on May 9 due to time zone differences.
This year, France also decided to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day on a large scale. Military parades, air shows, and a ceremony with President Emmanuel Macron lighting the eternal flame at the Arc de Triomphe took place in Paris and Normandy.
