Luxembourg honours the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe

On Thursday 8 May 2025, Luxembourg will commemorate the victims of the Nazi regime and those who fought for freedom in a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. The event will take place at a landmark cultural centre in the former Neimënster Abbey, which during the German occupation served as a prison for some 3,500 men and women who resisted violence and imposed ideology.

The ceremony will begin with a wreath-laying ceremony at the S.AS.A.R. memorial plaque in the presence of the President of Parliament, Claude Wiseler, and Prime Minister Luc Frieden. The plaque bears an inscription recalling that the prisoners of these walls were guilty of one thing only: loyalty to their homeland and freedom.

After a minute's silence, guests will move to the Abbey's glass-enclosed hall for a historical session. Benoît Niederkorn, Director of the National Museum of Military History in Diekirch, will speak about the significance of the Second World War for Luxembourg - as a country at the epicentre of the continental conflict and deeply traumatised.

Musical breaks will be provided by the Jumatano Brass Quintet, composed of young musicians from the Luxembourg Conservatoire. A special place in the programme will be given to performances by students from the Lycée Ermesinde, who will share their thoughts on tragedy and remembrance and its significance for their generation.

Prime Minister Luc Frieden will deliver the closing speech. The final chords will be accompanied by the European Union anthem and the national anthem of Luxembourg, reminding us how fragile the world is and how high its price.