In Germany, Volkstrauertag (lit. people’s mourning/grief day) is National Day of Mourning and takes place the two Sundays before the first Advent Sunday. Therefore it’s always in the middle of November and towards the end of the liturgical year (Kirchenjahr), which ends with the last Sunday before Advent, Totensonntag or Ewigkeitssonntag.
It is a stiller Feiertag which means that because of the seriousness of the holiday, dance and public sports events are not to take place. However, holidays and their observance fall under the individual state’s jurisdiction.
Volkstrauertag is a day to commemorate the fallen soldiers of World War I and II as well as the victims of the Nazi regime. But nowadays it is even broader and is a day to commemorate all victims of violence and wars of all nations.
Short History
Weimar Republic
The Volkstrauertag has undergone several changes over the years and decades. It was first proposed in 1919 by the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (German War Graves Commission) after World War I to commemorate the fallen soldiers of WWI. In 1922, a Gedenkstunde (hour of commemoration) was held in the Reichstag, then in 1925, the Volkstrauertag was officially observed for the first time. During the Weimar Republic, it took place on various dates in March, however it wasn’t an official or public holiday.
Third Reich
During the Third Reich and after von Hindenburg’s death in 1934, the day was renamed Heldengedenktag (Hero Remembrance Day) and commemorated all fallen heroes. However, the day took on a different character and purpose. The focus was no longer commemorating the dead but the hero worship. Flags were not flown at half-mast but full-mast. The day was used for propaganda purposes.
West Germany (BRD) and East Germany (DDR)
After WWII, the Day of Mourning was officially reinstated in 1952 in West Germany. It was moved to November to the end of the liturgical year when the focus was on death, remembrance, and the dead. It is a time of reflection and thoughtfulness. The Volkstrauertag is not an official holiday because it always falls on a Sunday.
In the GDR, the Volkstrauertag was substituted by Internationaler Gedenktag für die Opfer des faschistischen Terrors und Kampftag gegen Faschismus und imperialistischen Krieg (International Commemoration Day of the Victims of Fascist Terror and Fight Day against Fascism and Imperialist War) and moved to the second Sunday in September. It consisted of a wreath-laying ceremony and a speech and was usually a relatively political event. The Gedenktag was observed from 1952 until 1990.
Customs on Volkstrauertag
Traditionally, the President says a couple words in the Bundestag during an hour of remembrance. Flags on government buildings are flown half-mast and banner flags have a black ribbon (Trauerflor). Officials all over Germany lay down wreaths at monuments in honor of the (fallen and/or unknown) soldiers and/or victims of the World Wars and the Nazi regime. During some years, victims of ongoing violent conflicts are mentioned also.
These events often feature music from a military band, a favorite song played is “Ich hatt’ einen Kameraden” (I had a comrade). The song, also called “Der gute Kamerad” (The good comrade), was written in 1809 by Romantic poet Ludwig Uhland. In 1825, Friedrich Silcher set it to music based on a Swiss folk tune. I have included the song in my youtube playlist.
While Volkstrauertag is not a religious holiday, services in the Protestant and Catholic church often include a remembrance of victims of war and violent regimes.
Memorial Day
The US-American equivalent to Volkstrauertag is Memorial Day when people in the U.S. think of the military personnel who lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday in May. Graves of service members are decorated with American flags. But it is also the unofficial start of summer and many people celebrate the day with picnics.
Some communities in the U.S. also observe the German National Day of Remembrance. In Fort Douglas Cemetery, Utah, the German-American community as Army Reserve Soldiers have been gathering since 1977 to honor the 41 German prisoners of war as well as 12 Italian and 1 Japanese POWs who are buried there.
At Fort Sam Houston Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas, members of the German and American military, family and community members gather on Volkstrauertag to commemorate the 130 German prisoners of war (WWII) who are buried here.
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