Volkstrauertag is observed nationwide two weeks before the first Advent and one week before Totensonntag. On this day, the war dead and all victims of tyranny are commemorated.
One of the events, which was also attended by Mayor Stephan Tautz and the chairman of the social association VdK, Thomas Becker, took place at the honorary cemetery in Völklingen, as well as a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial site in the Waldfriedhof.
In the district of Wehrden, the local mayor of the municipal district Völklingen, Uwe Steffen, welcomed the visitors at 11:00 a.m. in front of the memorial at Denkmalplatz. Mayor Christof Sellen also took part in the wreath-laying ceremony in Wehrden.
In addition, a memorial ceremony with a wreath-laying took place at the cemetery in Lauterbach. The local mayor of the Lauterbach district, Erik Roskothen, welcomed the participants at 11:00 a.m. at the monument in front of the funeral hall. Afterwards, he invited them to an honorary wine at the Lauterbach bakehouse.
In the Ludweiler district, the ceremony began at 3:00 PM with an ecumenical service in the Huguenot Church. Following this, the local mayor of the Ludweiler municipal district, Andreas Willems, welcomed the visitors during a small ceremony with a wreath-laying at the memorial in the old cemetery, which was also attended by Mayor Stephan Tautz.
The National Day of Mourning originally commemorates the victims of the First World War and has gained further significance in Germany as a day of remembrance following the Second World War. “We must maintain the culture of remembrance and continuously remind ourselves that the horrors of war are unfortunately more relevant today than ever. We commemorate all victims of war violence, with particular attention at present to those in Ukraine and Russia, as well as in the Gaza Strip,” explained Mayor Stephan Tautz.
