Celebrating Volkstrauertag as an American Living in Germany
Living overseas offers plenty of new opportunities for Americans: food, traditions, cultural events, and more. It’s probably the best part about the experience and why I urge people to accept an OCONUS posting if one’s offered. During my first year living in Bavaria, a heavily Catholic state in Germany, I learned about the various Catholic holidays that don’t carry as much weight in the United States. I spent time celebrating my first Fasching, the German version of Carnival or Mardi Gras, complete with a parade prior to the lenten season.
I’ve attended my fair share of Volksfests and other fests popular in Germany.
This year was my first time experiencing Volkstrauertag, the People’s Day of Mourning. It’s a public holiday, when the German flag is flown at half-staff, and the citizens remember the violence and tyranny of all nations. This includes the service members—fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, sons and daughters—lost during conflict, but it also includes those who were murdered or persecuted for their faith or different points of view.
It’s a time to remember those who sacrificed everything, but also serves as a warning—to never make the same mistake again.
Volkstrauertag is usually observed on a Sunday, two weeks before the start of Advent, but my village celebrated on a frigid Saturday evening on Nov. 17, and it was a moving experience.
Like many overseas locations, I live in a house leased by the U.S. government but nestled in a German town. There are more than 1,100 Americans who live in my town. While I have some American neighbors, I’m surrounded by local nationals. It’s the perfect way to experience the country where I’m living.
Up the narrow cobbled road is the Saint Barbara Catholic Church, the patron saint of the artillery, and just outside the church’s doors is a memorial to the Lupburg soldiers killed during both World War I and World War II.
The evening began with a parade up the hill to the church, circling past the memorial to German service members, then inside the church for a brief service. Attendants moved outside, spreading around the memorial, where the Lupburg mayor spoke and a Catholic priest provided a blessing.
While the entire ceremony was conducted in German, I was able to pick up on bits and pieces. A small choir sang about peace, while the priest provided a blessing for the lives lost.
My husband is part of an unusual unit, what they call a “team,” which includes a German soldier (part of the Bundeswehr) and an Italian soldier. The team partners with Lupburg, lending a hand at various events with static displays or participating in events like Saint Barbara’s Day (which will be celebrated Dec. 2). The American commander of the team spoke to the crowd, conducting his speech entirely in German. Then he, the German soldier, and the Italian soldier stood to salute the memorial after laying their wreath, complete with the colors of the American, German, and Italian flags.
The ceremony ended with the playing of the national anthem, but not just the German anthem, “Das Deutschlandlied.” The small band even played the “Star-Spangled Banner,” the few Americans in attendance singing along. I have to say, there’s an awe factor when hearing your own anthem in a foreign country. The German anthem was next, followed by Bayernhymne, the Hymn of Bavaria. It was a sight to witness the ceremony with our host nation partners.
And yet another experience I will always remember from my time here in Germany.
