Celebration of Freedom 2025 - Commemorating 80 Years of Liberation at Vienna's Heldenplatz

On May 8, 2025, the Mauthausen Committee Austria (MKÖ) will host the 13th edition of the Celebration of Freedom at the Heldenplatz in Vienna. This year's event marks a significant milestone, commemorating 80 years since the end of the Nazi terror regime and the liberation from National Socialism. The theme for this year's celebration is '80 Years of Liberation from National Socialism - For a Never Again and Peace in Europe.'

As part of the program, Paul Lendvai, a Holocaust survivor, will share his personal experiences related to fleeing, displacement, and starting anew. A key musical highlight will be the Austrian premiere of 'Requiem A' by Sven Helbig, performed by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Martin Lehmann.

In the lead-up to the Celebration of Freedom, the MKÖ will again provide educational offerings to deepen the understanding of May 8 as Liberation Day and the historical significance of the event. The Celebration of Freedom serves as a powerful reminder against forgetting the past and promotes a peaceful and democratic future.

The focus for 2025 will be on the theme 'For a Never Again and Peace in Europe.' Each year, the celebration emphasizes a thematic focus that not only highlights the historical importance of remembrance but also encourages reflection on the lessons learned from the past, especially in light of the increasing pressures on democratic values.

Willi Mernyi, chairperson of the MKÖ, emphasized the importance of active engagement in the present and future, stating that the message of 'Never Again' must resonate now more than ever in a time when war has returned to Europe, and antisemitism, racism, and right-wing extremism are on the rise.

The event is supported by the Jewish Community of Vienna, the Gedenkdienst Association, and the Documentation Archive of the Austrian Resistance. The celebration will consciously reflect on events from 80 years ago and connect them to the present day. The opening ceremony will be led by MKÖ chair Willi Mernyi and Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, with the event being moderated by Katharina Stemberger.

Paul Lendvai will bridge the gap between history and the present through his speech, highlighting that freedom is never a given. In recent years, hundreds of thousands of attendees, both in-person and virtually, have participated in the Celebration of Freedom, reinforcing the establishment of a dignified remembrance of May 8 as Liberation Day. The free concert by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra will proceed regardless of weather conditions, with limited seating available primarily for the elderly and individuals with special needs, although prior reservations are not possible.

Musically, the event will feature the Vienna Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martin Lehmann, who is also the Kreuzkantor of the Dresden Kreuzchor. The evening will culminate in the Austrian premiere of 'Requiem A,' which blends classical choral traditions with contemporary sounds, featuring the unique voice of bass René Pape, the Dresden Kreuzchor, and the New Vienna Voices.

Jan Nast, the artistic director of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, noted that in this year of remembrance, music will play a vital role in making the act of remembering and warning emotionally impactful. The program will begin with the world premiere of 'Beyond,' an orchestral piece by Vorarlberg composer Marcus Nigsch.

In preparation for the Celebration of Freedom, the MKÖ is offering a mediation program focused on the history of May 8 as Liberation Day and the various memorials around the Heldenplatz, along with insights into the experiences of survivors and witnesses. These guided tours can be booked via www.festderfreude.at and will run until May 8, 2025. Each tour will be led by trained facilitators and designed to be engaging and interactive.

ORF III will dedicate a programming day to the Celebration of Freedom, featuring eight documentaries and a live broadcast from the Heldenplatz. The day will commence at 8:40 AM with a new ORF III production about a subcamp of the Mauthausen concentration camp, followed by several episodes of Hugo Portisch's historical series 'Österreich II.' The highlight of the television program will be the live broadcasts of the 'Celebration of Freedom' from the Heldenplatz, including the opening ceremony and the concert by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

The largest international liberation celebration will take place on Sunday, May 11, 2025, in the form of a memorial procession focused on the theme 'Together for a Never Again.' To make the memorial accessible to a wider audience, the event will be streamed live on the MKÖ's online platforms and broadcast on ORF starting at 11:00 AM.

Each year, tens of thousands of people from Austria and abroad participate in the memorial and liberation celebration, including the last survivors of the Mauthausen concentration camp and its subcamps, along with many young people. Given that over 90% of the victims were neither German nor Austrian, the commemoration of the victims holds particular international significance.

For more information about the Celebration of Freedom, visit festderfreude.at and mkoe.at. Details regarding the program and musicians can be found at festderfreude.at/musik. Information about the memorial and liberation celebrations in 2025 can be accessed at befreiungsfeier.at.