{"id":11702,"date":"2020-05-08T16:51:50","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T16:51:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/?p=11702"},"modified":"2020-05-08T16:51:50","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T16:51:50","slug":"berlin-one-time-holiday-for-ve-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/berlin-one-time-holiday-for-ve-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Berlin: One-Time Holiday for VE-Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today is VE-Day, or Victory in Europe Day. May 8, 1945 marks the day that the Nazis capitulated. With the Nazi regime gone, it was\u00a0Stunde Null\u00a0<\/em>(Zero Hour), as it was called, for Germany: The opportunity for a new Germany, starting over. In Berlin, its 75.\u00a0Jahrestag\u00a0<\/em>(anniversary), the day is a\u00a0einmaliger\u00a0<\/em>(one-time)\u00a0Feiertag\u00a0<\/em>(holiday). What happens today?<\/p>\n

Kapitulation am 8. Mai 1945<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Generaloberst<\/em> (Colonel-General) Jodl signs the bedingungslose Kapitulation<\/em> (unconditional surrender) of the Wehrmacht<\/em> (Third Reich armed forces) (Author unknown, at Commons.wikimedia.org, public domain).<\/p><\/div>\n

On\u00a0 May 7, 1945, the highest command of the German Wehrmacht\u00a0<\/em>signed the\u00a0Kapitulation\u00a0<\/em>(surrender) in Reims, France. The official time of\u00a0Kapitulation <\/em>was set at May 8, 11.01 pm, Berlin time.\u00a0For the allied forces, it officially marked the end of World War 2 in the European theatre. The Japanese capitulation only came on September 2, 1945.<\/p>\n

For Germany, it is also seen as a\u00a0Tag der Befreiung <\/em>(liberation day) of the Nazis, but it is not celebrated, like in other countries like the Netherlands<\/a>1<\/a><\/sup>The Dutch also have a day for commemoration, but that is a day earlier on May 4.<\/span>, but rather commemorated. However, while in many other places, it is a regular\u00a0Feiertag<\/em>, it is a regular Arbeitstag <\/em>(work day) in Germany. Only this year, Berlin gets a long weekend, with VE-Day being a\u00a0Feiertag<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In Berlin, this day has more of a history, however. In 1985, the 40th anniversary, it was already a\u00a0Feiertag\u00a0<\/em>for East Germany, with parades and commemorations of the Red Army that got all the way to Berlin in 1945.<\/p>\n

The last days of the Third Reich<\/strong><\/h2>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=l2rDOjaPYqk<\/p>\n

DW made a good documentary about the last days of the Nazis, and what led to the\u00a0Kapitulation<\/em>. You can watch it in English above, or in German at this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Gedenkfeier in Berlin<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n