where and how to follow the ceremonies on Saturday November 23

This Saturday, November 23, Strasbourg will celebrate the 80th anniversary of its liberation. A key moment in the Second World War, but also in the history of Alsace, to be experienced live from 11:15 a.m. with the broadcast on France 3 of a commemorative ceremony full of emotions, in the presence of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron.

More than 300 soldiers will be present from Place Broglie to pay tribute to the 2nd Armored Division and General Leclerc, who liberated Strasbourg on November 23, 1944. La Marseillaise, sung a cappella by the Opéra du Rhin, will sound, while the flag French will be hoisted to the top of the Cathedral by a Frenchman and a German, as a symbol of newfound peace.

The program of ceremonies

STRASBOURG

9h

The day begins at 9 a.m. with the laying of wreaths in front of the war memorial on Place de République. Representatives of the youth councils of Strasbourg, Stuttgart and Périgueux have been announced, they will participate in this highlight alongside Jeanne Barseghian, the mayor of Strasbourg.

11h30 Place Broglie

• 90 dancers, in the form of “dancing battalions”, are expected to evoke the Liberation in the memorial space. A reconstruction of the hoisting of the flag on the cathedral will be broadcast and a tribute to the 2nd DB as well as to General Leclerc is scheduled.
• Honors paid to the President of the Republic
• Marseillaise
• Review of the troops by the President of the Republic
• Wreath laying by the President of the Republic in front of the Leclerc column
• “To the dead” ringtone
• Minute of silence
• Marseillaise performed by the Choir of the Opéra national du Rhin
• Presentation of decorations to veterans of the Second World War

University Palace

12:35 p.m. Speech by the President of the Republic at the University Palace of Strasbourg

The President of the Republic will then visit the site of the former Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp at 2:40 p.m. He is expected at 4 p.m. at the Alsace Moselle Memorial in Schirmeck.

How to attend the ceremony

The memorial sequence in Strasbourg is open to the public free of charge but required prior registration on the City's website. But it's too late, no more places are available.

The ideal therefore remains France 3 Alsace, which will broadcast the ceremony live from 11:15 a.m. on its antenna, on its website and on the france.tv platform.

On set, Nadine Ly, journalist, will be surrounded by Anne Heitz, president of the Strasbourg French Remembrance Committee, Frédérique Neau-Dufour, historian and Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Bourcart, from the Strasbourg base support group, historian of the Army.

Through numerous reports and with journalists live from Place Broglie and the University Palace, we will bring you to experience this great moment of commemoration, 80 years later.

Operation 100 flowers

In memory of the people of Strasbourg engaged in the fight against Nazism, the Jacques Peirotes club has listed the list of resistance fighters and their addresses in order to place symbolic and ephemeral flowers there. On Saturday, November 23 afternoon, Strasbourg residents are invited to leave a “real” flower in front of one or other of the addresses listed on the site.

A festive evening

The day will end with a festive and dancing evening, to the tunes of “swing, charleston and lindy hop” in the Bourse hall, also upon registration (but it is full). Participants are invited to wear period clothing.

Without registration and free, but subject to availability, a concert will be offered at 8:30 p.m. at the cathedral by the Strasbourg Philharmonic Choir under the direction of Catherine Bolzinger.

Finally, traffic and parking will be disrupted on Saturday in Strasbourg. All the details can be found here.