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Ceremonies mark anniversary of failed plot to kill Hitler

Ceremonies marking the anniversary of the failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler will be held at sites around Berlin on Tuesday, as Germany remembers the attempt that came closest to killing the Nazi leader.

Commemorations in the German capital on Tuesday will mark the anniversary of the failed plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. The attempt on the life of the Nazi leader was the culmination of efforts by the German resistance.

The ceremonies begin with an ecumenical service at the Ploetzensee Memorial Center in Berlin, which commemorates the victims of the Nazi regime. The center, formally a prison, was the site of nearly 3,000 executions.

At midday, government officials will take part in a ceremony at the Bendler Block building to remember the fallen members of the German resistance, many of whom gave their lives in the effort to topple the Nazi regime.

The Bendler Block was the headquarters of the German officers who carried out the failed assassination attempt, known as Operation Valkyrie.

Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg and Bundesrat President Jens Boehrnsen will attend the event, which will be followed by the laying of wreaths at the site.
Read entire article at Deutsche Welle (Germany)