Many municipalities commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Liberation in December. A tribute to all the fighters who fought against Nazism. What happened during this period? We talked about it with our guest in the Great Awakening.
Joël Beck, president of the Society of History and Archeology of Lorraine
The Liberation is a vast subject, simply why these commemorations in December, what really happened in December 1944 on our territory?
Firstly, it involves separating two phases. There is a part of the territory which was liberated in December, but there is a part of the Pays de Bitche which will not be liberated until March 1945. The first phase of the American campaign in Lorraine begins on September 1, 1944 and continues. ended on December 18, 1944. This first phase, led by the 3rd American Army, ended with the victory of the Allies in the sector of Metz, Thionville, Sarrebourg and Sarreguemines. It is in particular the fall of Metz which is decisive since the Third American Army launches into an offensive to reach the Siegfried Line. At the end of the war, German Field Marshal von Rundstedt, who commanded the German armies on the Western Front, told Allied investigators: “As far as I am concerned, I estimated that the war was over in September 1944.” It was not just the Americans who liberated the region. I would like to take the example of Freyming-Merlebach which was liberated on December 5, before Sarreguemines which was liberated over several days between December 5 and 10, 1944, we also found French soldiers from the brigade of foot hunters. They were present for the liberation battles in Carling, Merlebach and as far as Freyming where they engaged in the Carling power station and also in the wells, in well 5 for example on the road to Merlebach.
This week and this weekend many municipalities are organizing commemorative days, which municipalities played a key role in this phase of liberation?
Naturally, it was Metz where the fighting was decisive. Sarreguemines was still 5 days of fighting. The liberation took place between December 5 and 10. The German army, on site, can only note the advance of the American army. It is meter by meter that the battles are fought. We have testimonies where we see the Americans advancing on the National Street or the Park Street house after house, looking to see if there are any Germans hidden somewhere. There is a little anecdote with a teenager who follows the Americans who tell him to go home, “go home, go home”. He didn't obey, he followed them until the Germans who were hiding in a street corner started shooting and from there he left. We must remember that Sarreguemines had 11,000 inhabitants who remained there and I would not only speak of the soldiers, but we must also think of the difficult conditions since another testimony adds that it had been weeks since the bread had been available. was more cooked in bakeries.
This weekend, December 7 and 8, Sarreguemines is organizing a commemorative weekend with conferences, ceremonies, military parade, exhibition of American military vehicles and an expanded exhibition. On Thursday evening, a show takes place in Freyming-Merlebach. On Wednesday, an exhibition is offered at the Farébersviller arts center. On Saturday, there will also be a parade and an exhibition in Théding.
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