In Reims, France, a red-brick schoolhouse served as the supreme headquarters for the Allied forces led by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower during the final stages of WWII. On 7 May 1945, in a classroom, the act of surrender was signed, marking the end of the war in Europe, although officially commemorated on 8 May. As the 80th anniversary of VE Day approaches, the significance of the date resonates amidst contemporary geopolitical uncertainties, with local officials reflecting on France's oversight of recognizing this pivotal moment.
For a building that witnessed one of the pivotal moments of European history, it is oddly unremarkable: a nondescript red-brick schoolhouse on an unexceptional street on the wrong side of the railway tracks in Reims, eastern France.
This Victory in Europe (VE) Day, the 80th, carries more weight than usual. Few of those who attend it are likely to mark the next major anniversary in 2035.
The date chosen for Victory in Europe Day was 8 May. Yet the Germans surrendered here, in the next room, on the seventh. It's been a bit forgotten.
In the small museum that Eisenhower's headquarters has now become, the present mayor of Reims confessed to just one minor regret. France never appropriated that date of 7 May.
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