Europe Day celebrations in Angers 2026 - Conference & testimonials

Each year, Europe Day is an opportunity to celebrate peace, unity and the common values that underpin the European project.

 

In Angers, this dynamic comes to life through numerous cultural, educational and civic events.

 

In this context, the Rencontre Réconciliation association is offering an exceptional conference dedicated to war memories and their transmission in Europe.

 

A conference on war memory in Europe

 

This conference invites the public to discover rare and moving testimonies from 20th century European history.

 

Through the stories of descendants of World War II veterans, particularly in Germany and the Netherlands, essential themes will be addressed:

• family legacies linked to the war

• the silences and unspoken transgenerational issues

• the psychological consequences on subsequent generations

• The challenges of memory and reconciliation in Europe.

 

These testimonies are part of an approach of understanding, dialogue and transmission, at the heart of the values promoted by the Festival of Europe.

 

Conference program

Introduction

Presentation by Sophie Paré, PhD in German Studies: The Kriegsenkel in Germany

Testimony of Fredy Krause from the Kriegsenkel association in Wedemark - Family heritage and memory

Statement by Alex Dekker, teacher and researcher - Dutch testimonies

Presentation by Romain Taillefait, director of the Maison du Souvenir, on the Maillé massacre

• Interaction with the audience.