The National Liberation Fire was traditionally lit on the 5 Mei Plein in Wageningen on the night of May 4 to 5. War veterans Johan Geneuglijk (105) and Robbie Hall (103) did this together with Wageningen mayor Floor Vermeulen. The lighting of the fire marks the transition from commemorating on May 4 to celebrating freedom on May 5.
After lighting the fire, the liberation fire relay started on Monday night: 119 groups of runners brought the fire from Wageningen to 107 Dutch municipalities. The fire is lit every year at the Wageningen Hotel de Wereld because the surrender document was signed there on May 5, 1945. This year’s runners also include a German and a Ukrainian group.
This year the starting signal for the May 5 celebrations will be given in Utrecht, where writer Splinter Chabot will present the May 5 lecture on Tuesday afternoon. Then Prime Minister Rob Jetten and Chabot will light the fire together in Utrecht and the liberation festivals will start in fourteen places. De Jostiband, Karsu, DJ La Fuente and Rolf Sanchez will be playing there this year.
Live blog
May 4 and 5
Two minutes of silence passed peacefully, several activists were removed from Dam Square just before Remembrance Day
