Overview

• Berlin's weeklong Gedenkwoche began on May 2 with around 100 planned events, including exhibitions, concerts, and wreath-layings.
• Brandenburg buried the remains of 100 German war dead at Halbe cemetery on May 1, emphasizing the horrors of war and the need to combat extremism.
• Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke urged active resistance against right-wing extremism, antisemitism, and racism at commemorative events.
• Russian and Belarusian officials were excluded from ceremonies following German Foreign Office guidance, reflecting concerns over Ukraine-war propaganda.
• Authorities are preparing restrictions at memorial sites as uncertainty looms over the potential arrival of the Russian nationalist biker group 'Nachtwölfe.'