Day: August 9, 2025

Ypres – On August 6, 2025, Ypres and Bruges commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, holding ceremonies to honor the victims. The tribute was led by Wouter Sinnaeve and Alderman Stephan De Roo.

As reported by VRT News, the cities of Ypres and Bruges observed a moment of silence at 8:15 a.m., marking the tragic event that occurred eight decades prior. Wouter Sinnaeve, representing the In Flanders Fields Museum, emphasized Ypres’s shared history of loss due to war.

Sinnaeve noted, “Ypres understands the pain of losing everything in conflict. The people here have not forgotten, and both cities now exchange stories to keep those memories alive.”

Ypres and Bruges Pay Tribute to Hiroshima 80 Years Later

As part of the ceremony, Alderman Stephan De Roo raised the Mayor’s for Peace flag at Astrid Park, accompanied by the song “Enola Gay.” Following the event, Mayor Katrien Desomer and peace officer Filip Deheegher plan to travel to Japan to participate in the official commemoration in Hiroshima.

Ypres holds the title of Belgium’s capital of Mayors for Peace, an international network advocating against nuclear weaponry. The city encouraged other Flemish municipalities to join in raising the flag, emphasizing the importance of remembering the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.

On August 6, 1945, the U.S. plane “Enola Gay” dropped an atomic bomb known as “Little Boy” from an altitude of over 9,000 meters. This devastating explosion struck near a hospital in Hiroshima, obliterating much of the city within moments. At the time, Hiroshima was home to approximately 245,000 residents.

Initial death tolls reached around 80,000 people, with many more suffering severe injuries or later succumbing to burns and radiation exposure. By year’s end, over 140,000 had died due to the bombing, marking it as one of history’s most catastrophic attacks.

Just three days later, on August 9, 1945, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, named “Fat Man,” killing more than 78,000 people immediately. These two bombings resulted in immense destruction across Japan and led to Japan’s surrender, officially ending World War II on August 15, 1945.

Survivors of the bombings faced long-term health issues, including cancer, and many endured severe psychological trauma. Subsequent generations also experienced health complications linked to the bombings. Given its near-total destruction during World War I, Ypres shares a poignant connection with the suffering endured by the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.