Overview
- Germany held the central remembrance in the Bundestag, where Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella delivered the commemorative address and joined President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in laying wreaths in Berlin.
- Bundestag President Julia Klöckner called remembrance a mandate to act, urging a daily commitment to protect peace and uphold democracy in the face of current threats.
- The official memorial wording was expanded for the first time to explicitly name victims persecuted for sexual orientation or gender identity and to honor police officers who died in service.
- The Volksbund warned of a structural funding gap with an investment backlog exceeding €20 million, saying a one‑off federal addition of €2.5 million only partially offsets deficits as donations decline and costs rise.
- State and local events emphasized intergenerational memory work, including a youth‑prepared ceremony in Erkelenz with readings from World War I field‑post letters.