Today in the US, Memorial Day is being celebrated all over the country to remember the sacrifices that many men and women have made in service to their country. Flags will be flown, many memorials will be held, and tears will be shed to remember the veterans and soldiers who have served in wars involving the United States.

One week from today, we will remember the 66th anniversary of D-Day invasion in Normandy where British, American, and Canadian troops landed on the beaches to help liberate France and help turn the war in favor of the Allies. While this is one of the most celebrated battles on European soil, there have been many battles and wars in Europe in which many have sacrificed their lives.

In honor of these anniversaries and holidays, here are a couple of other war memorials in Europe remembering battles and honoring the sacrifices that were made.

A number of battles took place on the Somme battlefields in France between 1916 and 1918 during World War I.  Thiepval Memorial commemorates these battles in Thiepval, France in which 72,000 British citizens died in the battles, most in the Battle of the Somme.  This memorial marks the graves of these unknown or missing soldiers who died in these battles.  It’s the biggest British battle memorial in the world and was inaugurated on July 31, 1932.  You can read more about Thievpal” in Thomas’ post “Circuit of Remembrance in the Somme“.

The Soviet War Memorial, located in Treptower Park, remembers 5,000 Soviet soldiers who died in the Battle of Berlin in 1945.  As the great war in Europe was coming to it’s conclusion, many Soviet soldiers lost their lives in this final battle as Germany surrendered and Hitler took his life.  This memorial remembers 5,000 of the 80,000 soldiers who died here and are buried.  It opened in May 1949 and served as a war memorial for East Germany.

While these are just a couple of the memorials that are located throughout Europe, these sites remember the lives that were lost and mark a part of Europe’s bloody past.  As we remember the many battles that have taken place on European soil, may we honor and remember those who sacrificed their lives.