Liberation Day
Historical Context
Liberation Day falls on 5 May every year and commemorates the liberation from German occupation in 1945.
On 5 May 1945, a ceasefire was agreed at Hotel de Wereld in Wageningen between German General Blaskowitz and Canadian General Foulkes. The formal capitulation followed the next day. Since then, 5 May has been celebrated annually as Liberation Day. The day is dedicated to freedom and is closely linked to Remembrance Day on 4 May. It was not until 1990 that Liberation Day became an official national holiday, but the debate over whether it should be a day off every year continues.
On 5 May, liberation festivals are organised in fourteen cities across the country, featuring free music, debates, and cultural events. The National Committee for 4 and 5 May coordinates the celebrations. The Liberation Fire is carried from Wageningen to all provinces by relay runners each year. In anniversary years (every five years), most employees have the day off, making these editions extra festive. In the years in between, the festivals go ahead as normal but most Dutch people work.
Regional Traditions
Wageningen
On the night of 4-5 May, the Liberation Fire is lit in the "City of Liberation" where Germany's capitulation was negotiated at Hotel de Wereld in 1945. Thousands of relay runners carry torches through the night to over 200 municipalities.
Wageningen
The Gelderland liberation festival takes place around the actual historic sites: Hotel de Wereld and 5 Mei Plein. No other festival has this direct connection to the capitulation.
Groningen (Stadspark)
Each province has hosted an official free Bevrijdingsfestival since 1990. In Groningen's Stadspark, a sapling from a Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor tree was planted in 2025 as a permanent freedom symbol.