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Commemoration with wreath-laying ceremonies, church services and the ringing of bells
Darmstadt will commemorate the victims of the firebombing of 1944 on Thursday, September 11 , 2025. At 11:00 a.m., Mayor Hanno Benz lay a wreath at the burial ground of the Waldfriedhof cemetery. In the evening, at 6:30 p.m., an ecumenical peace service in St. Ludwig Catholic Church. Mayor Benz will deliver the address, and Dean Dr. Raimund Wirth , accompanied by the Darmstadt Vocal Ensemble, City Church Cantor Christian Roß, and Regional Cantor Jorin Sandau.
At 8 p.m., a wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the memorial on Kapellplatz, and film screenings will be held at the Centralstation : The films being shown are "And Then Came the Americans – How Children Experienced the End of the War in Darmstadt" and "Running with Mum – My Mother's Journey" ( more information here ).
At 11:55 p.m. , the time of the attack 81 years ago, the bells of Darmstadt's churches will ring.
Mayor Benz: Remembrance as a reminder of the importance of peace
"The firebombing of September 11, 1944, was a defining event for Darmstadt, shaping the city's history like no other," said Mayor Benz. "To this day, the memory remains deeply ingrained. We commemorate the victims and at the same time remember that the trigger was the war of aggression that Germany had launched. These dramatic events remind us to preserve peace."
background
On the night of September 11-12, 1944, Royal Air Force bombers destroyed Darmstadt's city center. Over 280,000 incendiary bombs unleashed a firestorm that obliterated large parts of the city within 30 minutes. More than 11,000 people died , and over 65,000 were left homeless.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/dk)
