Europe in the World

  Volkstrauertag ‘The Memorial Day’  Sunday 16 November

The tradition of Volkstrauertag, the mourning day for those who lost their lives in Armed-conflicts and war goes back to Germany in Weimar Republic. The  National Memorial Day for the Victims of War and Tyranny was first introduced by the German War Graves Commission. And the first official ceremony took place in the Chamber of the Reichstag in 1922.

After the Second World War in 1949 the day was commemorated again by the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge. And since 1952 the second Sunday before the first Sunday of Advent has been declared a National day of mourning.

©die Bundeswehr
With the Fallen Heroes of the Bundeswehr in Afghanistan and other Humanitarian missions,  in 2006 the Bundespräsident and Bundeskanzlerin commemorated the Day as the Remembrance Day of die Deutschen Soldaten who lost their lives in battles, including the recent missions, inter alia, in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

This year the ceremony of Commemoration will take place in the Bundestag, on Sunday the 16th.          

                         Der Volkstrauertag  ceremony in the resting place of die Deutschen Soldaten in  ‘Lommel’ Belgien, 2013 ©Deutsche Botschaft Brüssel

 But also in most Military cemeteries across the US and Europe, there are Official Commemoration events co-hosted by the US and European Armed-Forces, the German Embassies and with the Representative from die Bundeswehr.

http://www.volksbund.de/volksbund-volkstrauertag.html

http://www.volksbund.de/home.html