Victory Day Celebrations Begin
Denmark and the Netherlands on Thursday marked the 60th anniversary of the surrender of Nazi troops, kicking off Victory in Europe Day celebrations around the continent that are to culminate Monday with world leaders attending a parade at Moscow’s Red Square.
In Copenhagen, Queen Margrethe II and Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen took part in ceremonies at a monument to sailors killed in the war. A Mass was held at a seamen’s church in memory of the 2,000 Danish sailors who died in Allied service.
British troops arrived in the Danish capital on May 5, 1945, to officially end the Nazi occupation there. May 8 marked the official end of World War II.
In the Netherlands, events kicked off in the southern city of Den Bosch.
“For most Netherlanders born after the war, freedom is as ordinary as clean water and dry feet,” said Crown Prince Willem Alexander. “We only notice how vulnerable it is when the water is dirty or the dikes are about to break.”
Events scheduled through the weekend include a ceremony in the French city of Reims, where the war officially ended, and rallies by both far-right and left-wing groups in Germany.
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