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Molsheim celebrates 80 years of liberation
On 26 November, Mosheim celebrated the 80th anniversary of its liberation from German occupation by American and French forces. The celebrations were organised jointly with the neighbouring town of Mutzig, which was liberated on the same day. Ceremonies, re-enactments and various exhibitions were on the programme for this special day, which drew a very enthusiastic crowd.
The commemoration day began in Mutzig, at the Château de Rohan, in the presence of the civil and military authorities, with the arrival of around thirty vintage vehicles. At 3pm, dodges, jeeps, Half Tracks and Allis-Chalmers entered the town through the Porte des Forgerons, thanks to the support of several associations, including the US Army Liberty Alsace Company (Usalac), the Military Vehicle Conservation Group-Région Est and Les Amis de la 70e Division des Vosges du Nord (ASDVN).
After the military ceremony, Laurent Furst and Jean-Luc Schickele, the mayors of Molsheim and Mutzig, headed to Molsheim to watch songs and choreography by pupils from the École des Tilleuls and the town’s choirs. A number of speeches were also given by the authorities, providing a good historical overview of the events.
Highly instructive exhibitions
To mark this day of commemoration, exhibitions were also organised to enable the residents of Molsheim and neighbouring towns to step back in time to the 1940s. At the Caveau Coulaux, private collector Yannick Yax exhibited objects and uniforms that belonged to the Allies and Germans during the Second World War. For its part, the Amicale des Maquettistes Internautes unveiled models and figurines illustrating the liberation of Molsheim and the fighting that took place in Alsace during the winter of 1944-1945. A number of documents and photos on the theme of ‘En route vers la victoire’ (which is also the title of a book published by the Société d’Histoire et d’Archéologie de Molsheim) also shed light on the advance of French and American troops in the Bruche Valley between November 1944 and February 1945. Finally, in the Bugatti cellar, the French Army Electronic Warfare Association presented an astonishing exhibition on the theme of ‘Military eavesdropping: from its origins to the Liberation’.
A day of festivities and remembrance, this exceptional day of celebration, which shone a spotlight on a dark period in our history, attracted people of all ages from Molsheim and the surrounding area.Find out more about us
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