Germany Prepares for 70th Anniversary of Kristallnacht

by Dan Forrest
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Europe

BERLIN, Germany - As the weekend concludes, Germany will mark the 70th anniversary of the Kristallnacht, or "night of the broken glass."  Kristallnacht occurred on November 9-10, 1938 when Nazi storm troopers attacked Jewish citizens and ransacked their homes and businesses.  Over 1,000 synagogues and 7,000 other Jewish establishments were destroyed.  Approximately 90 Jews were murdered and 30,000 men were sent to the first concentration camps built during the war in Europe.   

Symbolically, Kristallnacht is recognized as one of the starting points of the Holocaust.  It represents one of the first aggressive and violent acts directed by the Nazi party toward Jewish citizens in Germany. 

In an address to the German people, chancellor Angela Merkel called upon her nation to "fight against racism and anti-Semitism."  The BBC reported part of that address today: "We know the unspeakable began that day and ended with the Holocaust," she said.  "We must guard that memory not only out of duty towards the victims but also to ensure that it does not happen again." 

The time period between Kristallnacht and the end of the second World War must not be forgotten because it culminated in the murder of more than 6 million Jews in Europe. 

While many will choose to remember the tragedy in their own way, a concert will take place on Sunday night that features professional jazz, pop, and classical musicians.  The goal of the concert is to honor the victims in a way that will encourage Germany's youth to get involved and to reflect upon the tragedy.  It is being produced by professional British violinist Daniel Hope, who wants to remind everyone that Kristallnacht wasn't just about broken glass. 

Hope also seeks to warn Germany's youth of the continuing danger of anti-Semitism in Europe. 

For more information, please see:

BBC - Germany remembers Kristallnacht - 9 November 2008

Yahoo (AP) - Concert to mark 70th anniversary of Nazi pogrom - 8 November 2008

Comments

[Paul]

How about taking a lesson from the Holocaust and stopping the brutalization and killing of Palestine by Israel ?
Otherwise, how is Zionism that different from Nazism ?