#Commemoration - Germany

80th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Elbe-Röder-Dreieck

4/13/2025

5/6/2025

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Elbe-Röder-Dreieck, citizens, churches, municipalities, museums, associations, and memorial sites have come together to coordinate and exchange ideas. The result is a series of events under the patronage of the District Administrator of Meißen, Mr. Ralf Hänsel. These events - lectures, bus tours, and commemorative ceremonies - are closely tied to the local events and historical dates of 1945.

In May 1945, World War II ended in Europe, bringing an end to the terror regime of National Socialism. Eighty years later, the Elbe-Röder-Dreieck remembers this time with a series of commemorative events. The final days of the war were marked by immense suffering and violence. Until the very end, thousands of forced laborers were subjected to exhausting labor, particularly on farms and in the steel industry. At the same time, death marches passed through the region, accompanied by atrocities such as mass executions and targeted killings.

Due to its strategic location along the Elbe River, the Elbe-Röder-Dreieck became a focal point in the war’s final days. As the Red Army advanced, countless refugees sought to cross the river. A tragic moment occurred on April 22, 1945, when the Elbe Bridge between Strehla and Lorenzkirch was destroyed. Shortly after, on April 23, 1945, the prisoner-of-war camp in Zeithain was liberated. On April 25, soldiers of the U.S. Army and the Red Army met for the first time in Strehla, Lorenzkirch, and Kreinitz—a moment that remains largely unknown today, while the later meeting in Torgau entered world history.

Program Overview – 80 Years Since the End of the War

  • Sunday, April 13, 2025 / 10:00 AM – 12:45 PM: Bus tour: The End of the War Along the Elbe

  • Thursday, April 17, 2025 / 4:00 PM: Commemoration of the Murdered Concentration Camp Prisoners in Koselitz

  • Saturday, April 19, 2025 / 2:00 PM: Commemorative Event in Glaubitz (Death March from Leipzig)

  • Wednesday, April 23, 2025 / 10:30 AM / 11:15 AM: Commemoration Ceremony – Liberation of the STALAG IV B Prisoner-of-War Camp in Mühlberg/Elbe

  • Wednesday, April 23, 2025 / 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Commemoration Ceremony – Liberation of the Prisoner-of-War Camp in Zeithain

  • Thursday, April 24, 2025 / 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM: Bus Tour to Key Historical Sites in the region

  • Friday, April 25, 2025 / 1:50 PM – 6:00 PM: 80th Anniversary – Day of Encounter at the Elbe (Lorenzkirch & Strehla)

  • Friday, April 25, 2025 / 5:30 PM: Commemoration Ceremony in Kreinitz

  • Tuesday, April 29, 2025 / 5:00 PM: Kriegssplitter: Kriegsende im Raum Riesa – Zeithain (Lecture in German)

  • Tuesday, May 6, 2025 / 6:00 PM: Kriegssplitter: Das Kriegsende im Raum Riesa-Großenhain vor 80 Jahren (Lecture in German)

Some events require registration. Please check www.elbe-roeder.de/80jahre for details (in German).

For inquiries: steuer@elbe-roeder.de

steuer@elbe-roeder.de

Organiser: Elbe-Röder-Dreieck e.V.

See the website

Photos