Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu
On Thursday 8 May 2025, Luxembourg marked the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe - Victory in Europe (VE) Day - with a commemorative ceremony in the capital.
There was the symbolic sounding of sirens - across the country - around noon, followed by the ringing of the bells of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg-Ville.
An official wreath-laying ceremony took place later that afternoon at the Abbaye de Neumünster (neimënster) in Luxembourg-Grund. Among those present were Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, the President of the Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg's parliament), Claude Wiseler, and Prime Minister Luc Frieden.
The ceremony paid tribute to the victims of the Nazi regime and to the 3,500 Luxembourgers imprisoned between 1940 and 1944 in the abbey. As reported by the Grand Ducal Court, to preserve memory and learn from the tragic events of the war, Benoît Niederkorn, Director of the National Museum of Military History in Diekirch, recalled the impact of the conflict on the Grand Duchy and its inhabitants, while students from the Lycée Ermesinde Mersch shared their thoughts on this symbolic date.
In his speech, Prime Minister Frieden highlighted the "immense" suffering endured during World War II and honoured the sacrifices of Luxembourgers and Allied forces; he spoke of their "perserverence", "resistance" and "hope", emphasising that their sacrifice "was not in vain". Key remembrance themes included gratitude for peace and freedom, the power of social cohesion in times of adversity, and the enduring hope for a better future: "Gratitude provides the conviction to stand up for our values. Cohesion shows the path by which we can do so. Hope leads to the motivation to take on this task anew, every single day".
The Prime Minister noted that the best way to honour the sacrifice of those who lost their lives in the name of freedom was "to uphold and live by their values; to defend them, to keep them alive: democracy, freedom, respect". He stressed the importance of defending democratic values and acknowledged the vital role of European unity in securing lasting peace and prosperity.
"We are proud of our Luxembourg - proud that, even after 80 years, we continue to stand up for these values, both at home and in Europe. A country that lives in peace, freedom and prosperity. A country firmly rooted in the European project. A country that honours its international responsibilities and stands up for peace, democracy and the rule of law. From war came peace. Adversaries became partners. From destruction rose prosperity. Vive Lëtzebuerg. Vive Europa!" he concluded.
Moreover, the government paid tribute to the victims of war by laying flowers at several other memorial sites, namely: National Monument of Luxembourgish Solidarity (Kanounenhiwwel); Monument of Remembrance (Gëlle Fra); National Monument of Resistance and Deportation (Hinzerter Kräiz); Monument to the Victims of the Shoah (Kaddish); Memorial of Deportation (Gare de Hollerich); Luxembourg American Cemetery in Luxembourg-Hamm.
