This Saturday marks 83 years since Gauleiter Gustav Simon announced compulsory labour and military conscription for all Luxembourgers born between 1920 and 1924 in the former exhibition halls in Limpertsberg.

To mark the anniversary, RTL's Chris Meisch explores compulsory conscription in Luxembourg, from the so-called "Reich Labour Service" to the Wehrmacht, which was eventually extended to everybody born between 1920 and 1927.

In 1942, around 13,000 Luxembourgers – many barely 18, some as young as 15 – were forced into the German army to fight for a regime that was not theirs and for an ideology they rejected. They had no choice, and about a quarter of them never returned.

The day after conscription was announce spontaneous protests broke out across Luxembourg, resulting in a number of arrests and  the execution of 21 innocent men. The general strike of 1942 is still considered one of the most important signs of resistance in Luxembourg's history.

Joseph Lorent, President of the Federation of Forcibly Recruited Persons and Nazi Victims, whose father was one of thousands of forcibly recruited persons at that time, illustrates: "From that point on, they were Germans, and had to join the Wehrmacht – meaning they lost their nationality."

Lorent noted that forced recruitment had been anticipated, prompting the resistance to mobilise in advance. Flyers reading “We won’t participate in this!” were circulated, and a strike that began in Wiltz spread across the country. He said Luxembourgers refused to be dragged into the conflict.

Many were subsequently arrested, and 21 were executed — an act Lorent described as a crime against humanity and one that he believes must be remembered across generations.

Lorent warned that the slogan “Never Again”, which once shaped the post-war order, has lost force in the face of current global trends. “We once again have war in Europe, we are seeing xenophobia and far-right extremism. That is why it is so important to uphold the memory — not only for the victims, but to prevent history from repeating itself,” he said.

30 August marks the National Day of Commemoration for "our boys and girls", which until this day remembers a whole generation of young Luxembourgers that lost their lives to the Nazi regime.

The official ceremony is held on Saturday evening in Luxembourg City, but also on Sunday in Schifflange, Esch, and Wiltz.