80th anniversary of the liberation of Luxembourg City

At dawn on Sunday, 10 September 1944, units of the US Army's 5^th Armoured Division, under the command of General Lunsford E. Oliver began its advance. Without encountering any resistance from the Nazi occupier, they entered Luxembourg City to cheers of joy and relief. Soon after that, Prince Consort Félix – who had served in the US Army – and General Oliver were applauded as they stood on the balcony of the Cercle Municipal. Several hours later, Crown Prince Jean, who at the time was serving as a first lieutenant in the Irish Guards, arrived in Luxembourg to join his father and the nation in basking in the restored freedom of the capital and Grand Duchy.

To mark the 80^th anniversary of the liberation of the capital of the Grand Duchy, on Tuesday, 10 September 2024 the City of Luxembourg hosted a commemorative ceremony in the presence of TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, Luxembourg City Mayor Lydie Polfer, Chamber of Deputies President Claude Wiseler, Prime Minister Luc Frieden, Minister of Defence Yuriko Backes, and Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden. Descendants of General Oliver, municipal and national authorities, ambassadors, and the Committee for the Remembrance of the Second World War were also present. This ceremony began at 15:30 in Place d'Armes. Later, the guests attended a symposium hosted by the City at the Cercle Municipal. During the symposium, Mayor Polfer and Prime Minister Frieden delivered addresses commemorating the victims of the war and the liberators of the country and the capital.