German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier are laying wreaths inside the Neue Wache memorial in Berlin Friday to honour the victims of war as part of the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII.
Unlike elsewhere on the continent, where 8 May is celebrated annually as Victory in Europe Day, the anniversary of Nazi Germany's surrender to the Allies has always been just another work day in Germany.
This year, however, Berlin has decided to declare 8 May as a one-off public holiday.
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