Brussels celebrates 75th anniversary of Liberation this week

Brussels celebrates 75th anniversary of Liberation this week
Credit: Belga

Brussels will mark the 75th anniversary of Belgium’s Liberation during the Second World War next week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. 

The city will honour American troops and Resistance members over the three days, but they want to remember all the men and women killed during the War. 

There will be a moment of reflection at the Colonne du Congrès at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, which will be followed by a parade led by the Welsh Guard Band. The parade will begin at the Belgian Royal Arts Museum in rue de la Régence. Officials will greet a procession of 75 military vehicles coming from Mons at the esplanade du Cinquantenaire at 12 noon.

The procession will travel through Belgium along the same route used during the Liberation in 1944. The vehicles will remain at the esplanade du Cinquantenaire until Wednesday evening, then head towards Breendonk and Antwerp. Their journey will end at Bourg-Léopold. 

The Army Museum will be open for free from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Tuesday and 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Wednesday. They have a collection of planes, weapons and tanks on display and black and white films will be showing inside the museum. 

There will be entertainment at the esplanade du Cinquantenaire from 12 noon to 7:00 PM on Wednesday. Jazz and swing bands will transport visitors back to the 40s while they take in the army tents, military vehicles and a radio camp. There will also be an area dedicated to the make-up and hairstyles of the time and a vintage market selling clothes and other products from the 40s. Visitors can have a photo taken onboard a 1942 Jeep. 

There will be a ball on the Place de la Chapelle from 6:00 PM to midnight on Friday. Participants can have Liddyhop lessons until 7:30 PM, then they will get to see performances by the Hop Sh Bam-Big Band quintet and Mike Fantom and the Bop-A-Tones. A DJ will take over at 10:30 PM. Giant wooden games, a beauty corner and 1944 décor for selfies will be on offer during the party.  

The free exhibition ‘Bevrijd Brussels Libérée at the Halls Saint-Géry will open on Tuesday and remain open until 3 November.

The Brussels Times  


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