King Frederik and Bornholm residents mark 80th anniversary of Soviet departure

King Frederik X joined residents of the Danish island of Bornholm on Friday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Soviet occupation, DR reports.

The liberation of Denmark on 4 May 1945 was celebrated nationwide, but for Bornholm, freedom was short-lived. Soviet forces bombed the island’s towns of Rønne and Nexø on 7 and 8 May 1945, beginning an occupation that lasted until April 1946. Friday’s ceremony marked eight decades since the final withdrawal of Soviet troops.

The event included King Frederik as the guest of honour, alongside local officials and residents who gathered to reflect on the island’s unique wartime experience.