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Symposium on May 8, 1945 – End of the War and Liberation Day from National Socialism

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On May 8, 2025, the end of World War II in Germany and Europe was commemorated for the 80th time. To mark this day, the International Research and Documentation Centre for War Crimes Trials (ICWC) at Philipps University Marburg organized a symposium and the opening of an exhibition in cooperation with the city of Marburg, the Marburg City Archive, and the Hessian State Archive.

Additionally, the ICWC released a social media clip in which Managing Director  Dr. Henning de Vries explains the history and significance of May 8 as a day of remembrance. The video is available on our YouTube channel.

The symposium was aimed not only at an academic audience but also at the general public. At the conclusion of the event, an ICWC-curated exhibition titled “1945 in und um Marburg” was opened, focusing on the end of the war and the preceding occupation from March 1945. The exhibition will remain publicly accessible until June 27.

The event concluded with a screening of the film "Der Untergang" (Oliver Hirschbiegel, 2004) as part of a collaboration between the ICWC and Cineplex Marburg at the Capitol, accompanied by scholarly commentary.

Location: Erwin-Piscator-Haus

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