80th Anniversary of Liberation of Vianden Programme Unveiled

At a press conference on Thursday 6 February 2025, the municipality of Vianden unveiled the official programme for a series of events set to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge and the two liberations of Luxembourg in 1944/45.

These events will take place in Vianden from Wednesday 12 to Sunday 16 February 2025.

US troops liberated most of Luxembourg from Nazi occupation in September 1944. However, the Germans lanched one last desperate attack on the Allied forces in the Ardennes region (covering eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg) in mid-December 1944. The Ardennes Offensive, widely known as the Battle of the Bulge, would become the bloodiest battle fought by US troops during the Second World War. Many residents of towns such as Vianden were evacuated and became refugees; others lost their lives; much of the region was left in ruins. By the end of January 1945, most of the towns which had been (re)taken were liberated (again), with the fighting stopped and the Germans retreating. On 12 February 1945, Vianden was the last city in the Grand Duchy to be freed.

At the press conference, François Weyrich, Mayor of Vianden, touched on this historical context and the importance of commemorating the 80th anniversary of the town's liberation.

Author and historian Roland Gaul, whom the municipality had contacted to help coordinate the commemorative events, delved deeper into the historical context. Speaking to Chronicle.lu, he noted that an important aspect highlighted "for the first time" at this year's commemoration is the focus on a group of local resistance fighters from Vianden ("Veiner Miliz"; mostly men, but also three women, many of whom had been forcibly conscripted into the German armed forces but escaped) who offered their services to the US troops. They proved their worth and gained the Americans' trust by collecting information about the border area (Vianden is very close to Germany) and defending what had become "a ghost town", particularly at night. People from outside Vianden later joined them and eventually they managed to help the US soldiers beat the Germans in retreat.

Another local historian, Marcel Scheidweiler, also spoke about the historic (second) liberation of northern Luxembourg in early 1945, looking at events beyond Vianden.

Han Makkinga, coordinator of the upcoming anniversary events, provided a detailed overview of the official programme. First up is a conference about the Vianden resistance group, followed by a concert by the Luxembourg Military Band, at Vianden Castle on Wednesday 12 February 2025.

Next on the agenda is a conference about the shared history of Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, followed by a concert by a Dutch military band, at Vianden Castle on Thursday 13 February 2025.

Friday 14 February 2025 is reserved mainly for the construction of the re-enactment camps.

The main festivities kick off on Saturday 15 February 2025, with the re-enactment camps, the construction of a pontoon bridge on the Our river, information stands and music (concert by the Grevenmacher-based Spirit of the Highlands Pipes & Drums) and access to a new exhibition on the "Veiner Miliz" at the local museum. The festive Liberation Ball at the Larei cultural centre will end Saturday's programme on a high note.

One of the highlights of the programme is the official commemorative ceremony at the "Op der Plank" US memorial monument, which is taking place on Sunday 16 February 2025 at 11:00, in the presence of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg. The ceremony is open to the public but space is limited. A commemorative mass will be held prior to this, at 09:00. Another highlight on Sunday is the historical military vehicle parade, starting at 14:00. This is followed by the closing concert featuring the US Air Forces in Europe Wind Quintet at Vianden Castle at 18:00.

Reflecting on the Czech and Dutch dimensions, Roland Gaul recalled the historic ties that Luxembourg shares with both countries. On Czechia, he recalled the link with John the Blind but also with the Czech city of Pilsen, whose people were liberated in May 1945 by the same US troops who had freed Luxembourg months earlier. He noted that Vianden's mayor had been invited to Pilsen, which hosts an annual Liberation Festival, and the municipality returned the favour by inviting a delegation (including re-enactment groups) from the Czech city to the Vianden commemorations this year. Roland Gaul said the two places "share a culture of liberation, a friendship through joint remembrance". In fact, the idea is to have a "sister city" partnership between Vianden and Pilsen, which would later develop cultural links as well.

The full programme and registration details are now available at https://vianden80.com/