80th Anniversary of the End of WWII
2-11 May 2025
80th Anniversary of the End of WWII –
Liberation of Europe from National Socialism
Over 100 events throughout Berlin: Exhibitions, concerts, theatre performances, guided tours and much more
8 May 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. As the capital of the Third Reich, the city of Berlin surrendered on 2 May 1945. Six days later, the guns fell silent across all of Europe. The unconditional capitulation of the Wehrmacht and the occupation of Germany made it possible to forge a path to peace.
In 2025, Berlin will commemorate the 8th of May with a unique, one-off public holiday. In honour of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the liberation of Europe from National Socialism, the city is organising a week-long programme of over 100 events to be held throughout the city from 2 to 11 May 2025.
Liberation of Europe from National Socialism on 8 May 1945
At the heart of this week of events is an open-air exhibition titled »… Peace at last?!«, which will be on display on Pariser Platz from 2 to 11 May 2025. The exhibition paints an historically precise picture of the liberation of Europe from National Socialism, which required the complete military defeat of Germany, the surrender of the Wehrmacht and the subsequent occupation of the entire country. What happened in the final days of the war? What did the end of the war mean for people at the time? And what were the far-reaching consequences of the defeat of Nazi Germany?
The exhibition was curated by the Permanent Conference of National Socialist Memorial Sites in the Berlin Area and is being presented as an open-air exhibition by Kulturprojekte Berlin.
One of the first highlights of the week-long programme of events will be the world premiere of »Befreiung« (Liberation), an oratorio composed by Marc Sinan and performed by artists and ensembles from six different European countries at the Akademie der Künste on 2 May 2025. Sinan’s composition is based on the memories of Holocaust survivors and victims of Nazi persecution.
The composer’s immersive sound installation also conveys a powerful musical message in support of peace and tolerance. He draws on the biographies of survivors of the Second World War and blends them into his composition to create a striking interplay of sound. Five large-scale speaker-sculptures will provide listeners with a 360-degree acoustic experience. The installation on Pariser Platz will be open to the public daily from 10 am to 6 pm starting on 2 May through to 11 May 2025.
In addition, more than 50 memorial sites, institutions and artistic partners will offer a comprehensive programme of exhibitions, readings, theatre performances, discussions, guided tours, film screenings and concerts throughout Berlin as part of the week-long commemorative events.
»80th Anniversary of the End of WWII« is a project organised by Kulturprojekte Berlin in cooperation with the Permanent Conference of National Socialist Memorial Sites in the Berlin Area, the Berlin Commissioner for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship, the Karlshorst Museum and numerous other partners in Berlin. The project was initiated and is being funded by the State of Berlin.