The National Day of Mourning is an official public holiday in Germany that honors those who died in wars and conflicts or as the victims of violent oppression. This year the central commemoration will take place on Sunday, November 13, in the German parliament. It is one of the "days of quiet remembrance" and has been celebrated since 1952 annually on the second Sunday before the Advent.
The National Day of Mourning (Volkstrauertag) is organised nationwide by the German War Graves Commission (Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge) - one of the main partners of the ENRS, recently supported the 'In Between?' study visits. Celebrations of the Volkstrauertag each year have the wide support of the people and of the country’s major political and social institutions.
One of the special guest of this year central commemoration at the Bundestag will be a Latvian President Egils Levits who will deliver the commemorative speech. The memorial hour under the patronage of the President of the Bundestag Bärbel Bas is dedicated to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. In addition, the German-Latvian history should be remembered together. The commemoration hour will be broadcast live from 1.30 p.m. on the German parliamentary television and on the Internet at www.bundestag.de.
On the day, most German cities hold ceremonies that include solemn processions, prayers, speeches, laying of wreaths and a military guard of honor.