Luxembourg Marks Liberation

Photo: Alain Rischard / Editpress / Luxemburger Tageblatt / Tageblatt.lu

Seventy years ago today, the first Allied troops crossed the border into Luxembourg. The first commune in the country to be liberated by the American army was Pétange located on the borders to France and Belgium in south-western Luxembourg. Allied tanks of the American fifth armored division, who were the first to arrive in the Grand Duchy, and other forces entered Luxembourg city the following day on September 10. While most of the Grand Duchy was liberated rather quickly, especially the north of the country hard-fought for during the following months. Vianden was the final community in Luxembourg to be freed from German occupation on February 12, 1945.

The commemorate the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the liberation of Luxembourg, a ceremony was held earlier tonight in Pétange. High Luxembourgish guests included both Grand Duke Henri as well as Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

A galleries of visuals are available at Tageblatt and Wort.