The National Day of Commemoration originates from the census of 10 October 1941. At the time, the Nazis sought to identify those in the Luxembourgish population of Jewish origin and, at the same time, to persuade the inhabitants of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to declare themselves as belonging to the German nation, specifying that their mother tongue and their “race” were German. Sensing the trap, the Resistance called upon people to answer each question with “Luxembourgish”. Many heeded this call, which led to the cancellation of the census.

In its official proclamation for the National Day of Commemoration 2026, the Luxembourg government stated:

“Eighty years after the first National Day of Commemoration in 1946, this day remains a central moment of national remembrance. The government's official ceremony in the capital is an opportunity to pay tribute to the victims and recall the events of the past. Over time, this commemoration has also continually evolved and reinvented itself to adapt to changing times.

The National Day of Commemoration has its origins in the census of 10 October 1941. Under the pretext of counting the population, personal data was to be collected in order, among other things, to identify the Jewish population and to force Luxembourgers to answer the questions concerning their mother tongue and their supposed ‘ethnic affiliation’ with ‘German’. Through leaflets and posters, the Luxembourgish Resistance called upon the population to answer the relevant questions with ‘Luxembourgish’. This appeal resonated so strongly that the census ultimately had to be abandoned.

In 2026, it is 85 years since this census was cancelled. The failure of this census was, and remains, a major success for the resistance movements. Today, we commemorate their unwavering commitment in the fight against oppression and tyranny. Their example remains a source of inspiration for us and future generations, and a call to defend the values on which our democratic coexistence is built.

Alongside the courage of the resistance fighters, we also wish today to remember the unspeakable suffering of those forcibly conscripted and of families forcibly displaced. During the Second World War, thousands of young people were conscripted against their will into the Wehrmacht and sent to the front. No fewer than 3,614 young women were also forced to work for the occupiers, notably in the Reich Labour Service and the Kriegshilfsdienst, while entire families considered ‘hostile to the Germans’ were forcibly displaced.

We also remember the tragic fate of our Jewish fellow citizens who were persecuted, deported and murdered by the Nazis. On 16 October 1941, the first deportation convoy left Luxembourg for Litzmannstadt (Łódź), in occupied Poland. This departure marked the beginning of the deportation of Luxembourg's Jews to the ghettos and extermination camps of the Nazi regime.

All these events remind us how fragile freedom, human dignity and the rule of law can be. They call upon us all to keep alive the memory of all the victims and to commit ourselves resolutely to combating antisemitism, racism, intolerance and all forms of exclusion.

Only by remembering the lessons of the past can we preserve the foundations of our peaceful and democratic coexistence, for the benefit of present and future generations.”

Luc FRIEDEN, Xavier BETTEL, Marc SPAUTZ, Martine HANSEN, Claude MEISCH, Lex DELLES, Yuriko BACKES, Max HAHN, Gilles ROTH, Martine DEPREZ, Léon GLODEN, Stéphanie OBERTIN, Serge WILMES, Elisabeth MARGUE, Eric THILL