Eighty-one years ago, World War II ended and Nazi rule in Germany came to an end. To mark this occasion, the state capital of Wiesbaden is holding a commemorative ceremony to honor the liberation of Wiesbaden by the U.S. Army. Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende will deliver a welcoming address, followed by a lecture by historian Dr. Philipp Kratz. He will explore whether 1945 truly marked a democratic new beginning.

Numerous events and publications commemorate May 8, 1945, under the title “democratic new beginning.” In his lecture, however, Philipp Kratz uses the example of Wiesbaden to argue that the new beginning was initially anything but democratic. This becomes particularly clear when the power structures and the degree of denazification in 1945 are compared with the situation in 1955. This comparison is based on the speaker’s local historical studies as well as the findings of recent historical research on National Socialism and its aftermath.

The commemorative event also serves as an occasion for the Wiesbaden City Archives to present the new volume in its series “Schriften des Stadtarchivs Wiesbaden” (Publications of the Wiesbaden City Archives), titled “The End of the War and a New Beginning on the Rhine and Main: Perspectives on the End of World War II and the Beginning of Democratic Reconstruction in the Rhine-Main Region.” The publication summarizes the findings of last year’s colloquium marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the war and expands upon them with a reflection on commemorative practices to date.