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| Liberation Day | |
|---|---|
 Liberation Day parade in 1960 inUtrecht | |
| Official name | Bevrijdingsdag |
| Observed by | Netherlands |
| Type | National Day |
| Celebrations | Music festivals |
| Date | 5 May |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Liberation of the Netherlands from German occupation during World War II |
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Liberation Day (Dutch:Bevrijdingsdag[bəˈvrɛidɪŋzˌdɑx]ⓘ) is apublic holiday in the Netherlands to mark the end of theNazi occupation of the country during the Second World War.[1][2] It follows theRemembrance of the Dead (Dodenherdenking) on 4 May.[3][4]
The Netherlands were liberated byCanadian forces,British infantry divisions, theBritish I Corps, the1st Polish Armoured Division,American,Belgian,Dutch andCzechoslovak troops. Parts of the country, in particular the south-east, were liberated by theBritish Second Army which included American and Polish airborne forces (seeOperation Market Garden) and French airbornes (seeOperation Amherst). On 5 May 1945, atHotel de Wereld inWageningen,I Canadian Corps commanderLieutenant-GeneralCharles Foulkes andOberbefehlshaber Niederlande commander-in-chiefGeneraloberstJohannes Blaskowitz reached an agreement on thecapitulation of all German forces in the Netherlands. The capitulation document was signed the next day in the auditorium ofWageningen University, located next door.
After liberation in 1945, Liberation Day was celebrated every five years. In 1990 the day was declared anational holiday when liberation would be remembered and celebrated every year. Festivals are held in most places in the Netherlands with parades of veterans and musical festivals throughout the whole country.
Media related toLiberation Day (Netherlands) at Wikimedia Commons| National holidays | |
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| Other public holidays | |
