The end of the Second World War was 81 years ago. Today, many people can no longer imagine that fighting also took place in Luxembourg and that thousands of people lost their lives here.

Although most contemporary witnesses have since passed away, efforts are being made in Hosingen to keep the memory alive. On Friday, the Memorial Park was inaugurated.

The site is located on Um Knupp, right next to the water tower. Where there was once only a narrow field path, a broad memorial area has now been created.

At its centre stands the "Keystone in the Way" monument, which commemorates the soldiers of the US 28th Infantry Division. The keystone is the symbol of the US state of Pennsylvania, the home of the 28th Infantry Division.

Inside the water tower, which is still used as normal, an exhibition also commemorates the Second World War. The location was not chosen by chance, as local historian Yves Rasqui explained.

According to Rasqui, it was from the water tower that the first American soldier realised the Ardennes Offensive had begun. At around 5.30am, Second Lieutenant Gipson was sitting at the top of the tower and initially reported that there was nothing unusual, Rasqui said.

Gipson then noticed small white lights appearing in Germany, according to Rasqui. Before he had even finished reporting this, the first shells struck, the same shells now displayed at the top of the tower.

Inside the tower, large-format photographs show Hosingen before and after the attacks on the village. There are also several analogue panels and touchscreens telling the story of the battle from the perspective of specific individuals.

According to Volker Teuschler, art director at Cube, the company that developed the exhibition concept, this personalisation is particularly important.

Teuschler said the site also shows that, ultimately, there are only losers in such conflicts. He explained that a war must be understood through the people involved: what motivated them, why they fought there for so long, and why they held out.

At the same time, he noted that the German forces also suffered immense losses, were almost worn down in the area, and were nevertheless sent forward again and again.

In addition to the water tower and the large memorial area, the Knupp site in Hosingen also includes a monument to the victims of wartime mines and munitions. In future, the site is also expected to be completed with one of the so-called Swiss barracks, which is currently still located in Wilwerwiltz, as well as a former anti-tank obstacle.