Liberation Route Europe Transnational WWII Memorial Unveiled in Ettelbruck

For the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Luxembourg from Nazi occupation, Luxembourg's Minister Delegate for Tourism and Minister for Culture, Eric Thill, presented the "Liberation Route Europe" (LRE) at a press conference on Thursday 12 September 2024.

The presentation took place in the presence of Luxembourg's Minister for Mobility and Public Works, Yuriko Backes, the Mayor of Ettelbruck, Bob Steichen, the President of the General Patton Museum, Jos Tholl, and the US Ambassador to Luxembourg, Thomas "Tom" Barrett.

Stretching over 10,000 km across several European countries, including Luxembourg, this cultural route reminds walkers of the history of the various landmarks along the route taken by Allied troops between 1943 and 1945 to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation during the Second World War. The General Directorate for Tourism added that this transnational memorial, initiated by the LRE Foundation and certified as a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, marks key sites of the liberation and is part of a network of hiking trails that extends from Normandy (D-Day landings in June 1944) to Berlin (German surrender in May 1945).

With a total of over 270 km, the Luxembourg stretch of the Liberation Route Europe was designed and marked out by the General Directorate for Tourism of Luxembourg's Ministry of the Economy. The various sections follow the existing hiking trails and pass by (or near) historical sites and places of remembrance including Square Patton in Ettelbruck. A 3.5-metre-high "memory vector" designed by American architect Daniel Libeskind was installed there to mark the importance of this place of commemoration and the site's membership of the LRE hiking trail.

The LRE enters Luxembourg territory via the border bridge in Schengen to head towards Luxembourg City and towards Müllerthal. Continuing towards the north of the country, part of the trail heads towards Bastogne in Kautenbach and the other part passes through Huldange towards Ourthe in Belgium.

When designing and marking out the Luxembourg itinerary, the General Directorate for Tourism identified 38 points of interest (key historical sites, places of commemoration, museums, monuments, etc.), which tell, from different perspectives, stories that were important during the different phases of the Second World War. Each of these points of interest and several historical biographies are presented on the Luxembourg part of the multilingual LRE website and mobile applications (free). Other subjects of remembrance are also detailed, such as the Luxembourg government in exile, the organisation of the resistance, the Holocaust, forced enlistment and the Battle of the Bulge.

"This project is an additional vehicle for perpetuating our duty to remember the events of the Second World War that helped shape the contemporary identity of our country," said Minister Thill. "The Liberation Route Europe is also part of the government's efforts to support the development of remembrance tourism, which helps to promote this identity by recalling the courage and resilience of the nation during the Nazi occupation."

Other remembrance activities in Ettelbruck

The press conference also saw Ministers Thill and Backes present the redevelopment of Square Patton, while Mayor Steichen and Jos Tholl presented the upcoming commemorative festivities. They recalled that Ettelbruck was liberated twice in 1944 by Allied troops, on 11 September and on 25 December. To mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation, a commemorative weekend organised by the City of Ettelbruck and the General Patton Museum will take place from 20 to 22 September 2024, in the presence of members of the family of General George S. Patton Jr.

Minister Backes described the redevelopment of Square Patton as "a key step in improving accessibility and mobility in the City of Ettelbruck". She continued: "By modernising this commemorative and emblematic space, we are facilitating travel while preserving our heritage. This project reflects our ambition to create a modern, accessible and attractive city, while demonstrating our commitment to preparing public space for the future challenges of mobility."

Supervised by the Roads Division of Diekirch in collaboration with the City of Ettelbruck, this redevelopment aims to combine modernisation and preservation of heritage while adapting the infrastructure to urban developments. The project aims to improve the accessibility, visibility and enhancement of this major historical site. The work carried out includes: raising the base under the statue of General Patton with a regional stone (Gilsdrefer Steen), the development of a new access, adapted to tourist buses and visitors, thus facilitating arrival on the square, and the creation of additional parking spaces to allow visitors to park nearby, among others. The hope is that this place will continue to be a meeting point for those who wish to honour and respect its historical heritage.

Meanwhile, the upcoming commemorative festivities in Ettelbruck will highlight the key moments of the town's historic double liberation, through reenactments, official ceremonies and a military parade, while paying tribute to the heroes of the Second World War and unveiling the new improvements made to Square Patton.

"Since the end of the Second World War, the City of Ettelbruck has attached great importance to the preservation of the history of this difficult period. To express its gratitude to the Allied troops, the City of Ettelbruck has organised for decades the 'Remembrance Day', a commemorative event known beyond the borders of the country. For this reason, the ministries, the City of Ettelbruck and the Patton Museum continue to promote this heritage, in particular with the redevelopment of the Patton Square and the festivities organised as part of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the city," stated Mayor Steichen.

Programme

Friday 20 September 2024
16:15: Ceremony at the Dax-Thull monument (Rue des Romains)
17:00: Ceremony at Place de la Jeunesse Sacrifiée, featuring official speeches
17:30: Inauguration ceremony of the new monument for the sacrificed youth
17:45: Laying of flowers at the monument to the agricultural students who fell in combat at the LTETT (former agricultural school)

Saturday 21 September 2024
All day: Scenes of liberation through the pedestrian zone
14:30: Ceremony at the military cemetery in Hamm
18:00: US Army Band concert

Sunday 22 September 2024
All day: Scenes of liberation through the pedestrian zone
10:30: Interfaith ceremony
11:30: Memorial ceremony at the Monument aux Morts war memorial
15:00: Ceremony at Square Patton, featuring official speeches, the unveiling of the Liberation Route Monument by Minister Thill, inauguration by the US Ambassador, unveiling of the "new" Patton statue by Minister Backes and laying of flowers by members of the Patton family, as well as laying of flowers at the General Patton Monument
16:00: Military parade with soldiers from different nations and historic vehicles from the Second World War
17:00: Concert at Place de l'Église by the Philharmonie Grand-Ducale et Municipale d'Ettelbruck