France Commemorates 80 Years Since Liberation of Strasbourg

French President Emmanuel Macron led ceremonies on Saturday to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Strasbourg from Nazi Germany during World War II. The event honored the bravery of Free French troops and highlighted the sacrifices of those impacted by the conflict, including overlooked victims.

Tribute to Liberators and Heroes

At Broglie Square in central Strasbourg, Macron reviewed troops and participated in a military ceremony, paying tribute to General Philippe Leclerc, whose Free French forces liberated the city on November 23, 1944. A symbolic moment was marked with the French flag flying from Strasbourg Cathedral’s spire, mirroring the liberation’s iconic image.

Veterans, including 101-year-old Roger Le Neures, recounted the moment the city regained its freedom. “When we saw the flag raised on the cathedral, we knew freedom had returned,” Le Neures said.

Acknowledging Forgotten Victims

Macron visited Natzweiler-Struthof, the only Nazi concentration camp on French soil, located west of Strasbourg. Of the 50,000 people imprisoned there, around 17,000 died or disappeared. The president emphasized the need to remember victims like the tens of thousands of Alsatian men forcibly conscripted into the German army during the Nazi occupation.

“These children of Alsace… were forced into a uniform they despised, made instruments of a crime that enslaved and often killed them,” Macron said, calling for their tragic experiences to be fully acknowledged and taught in history.

The ‘Malgré-nous’ Legacy

Macron also recognized the struggles of the “Malgré-nous” — Alsatian men conscripted against their will to fight for Germany. Survivors like 99-year-old Jean-Marie Hostert recalled their unwilling service. “We didn’t want to fight for Germany,” Hostert said during the commemoration.

While some linked this group to the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre, one of Nazi Germany’s worst civilian atrocities in western Europe, historians like Christophe Woehrle noted that the “Malgré-nous” have long been a sensitive subject in France’s national memory.

Honoring Resistance Hero Marc Bloch

Macron announced the posthumous reinterment of Marc Bloch, a Jewish scholar and French Resistance fighter, in the Pantheon, Paris’ national monument for exceptional citizens. Bloch, executed by the Gestapo in 1944, was lauded for his intellectual contributions and courage.

A decorated World War I veteran, Bloch revolutionized medieval history and criticized France’s unpreparedness for the Nazi invasion in his book L’Etrange Défaite (The Strange Defeat). Calling him a “man of the Enlightenment in the army of the shadows,” Macron highlighted Bloch’s enduring legacy.

Bloch’s great-granddaughter, Hélène Séguret, expressed the family’s pride. “We are deeply moved by this recognition,” she said.

Preserving History and Memory

The 80th anniversary commemoration serves as a reminder of France’s resilience during one of history’s darkest periods and underscores the importance of honoring all who contributed to the liberation and rebuilding of the nation.

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