As of: November 9th, 2023 7:54 a.m
On the 85th anniversary of the pogrom night, people in Hamburg are once again remembering the murdered Jews in their city.
Today’s memorial day is different than in previous years: Never since the Holocaust have so many Jews been murdered on one day as on October 7th, said David Rubinstein, managing director of the Jewish Community in Hamburg. The terrorist attack by Hamas just over a month ago was a turning point.
Commemoration in the Grindelviertel
This is one of the reasons why November 9th is receiving special attention in Hamburg this year. It was only six weeks ago that the citizens decided to buy the property of the former Bornplatz synagogue to be returned to the Jewish community. It is exactly there, in the Grindelviertel, that what is probably the most important memorial event in Hamburg will take place this afternoon.
Among others, Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) and Bishop Kirsten Fehrs are expected. Also taking part are the chairman of the Jewish community, Philipp Stricharz, writer Kirsten Boie, Tanja Chawla from the DGB and climate protection activist Luisa Neubauer.
This commemoration is important, said Rubinstein – but also a look at the Jewish future in Hamburg. Bornplatz is also a symbol of this, because the synagogue is to be rebuilt there.
Cleaning stumbling blocks against forgetting
Many people in Hamburg are remembering the victims today by visiting some of the more than Clean 7,000 stumbling blocks in the city or place grave lights next to it. Those interested can visit the Website of the Hamburg Stolperstein Initiative or use the “Stolpersteine Deutschland” app to find out about the people who are commemorated with the memorial stones.
Pogrom night 85 years ago
On November 9, 1938, the National Socialists Synagogues all over Germany were set on fire on the night of the pogrom. A number of Jewish institutions were also destroyed in Hamburg, including the Bornplatz Synagogue on Joseph-Carlebach-Platz near the university. Until 1938, the prayer house was the symbol of Jewish life in the Hanseatic city, the largest Jewish place of worship in northern Germany and should now be rebuilt.
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Keywords for this article
Nazi period
The post first appeared on www.ndr.de
