Volkstrauertag - Mourning the Victims of War

German postage stamp, 1965: 20th anniversary of flight and expulsion

Volkstrauertag, the day of mourning the victims of war and persecution, is celebrated on the second last Sunday of the church year, thus in mid November. It was introduced after World War I by the Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (German War Graves Commission), then on a date in spring. The Nazi regime turned it into a commemoration of heroes, as one can easily imagine. After World War II it was reestablished but with a different focus and on a different date.

This memorial day is not about glorifying "fallen heroes". It is a day of solemn remembrance of war, flight and expulsion, and a warning never to let this happen again.

German postage stamp, 1994: care for war cemeteries