Commemoration of the Nazi pogrom night and solidarity with Israel
In numerous cities in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, people held commemorative events to remember the Nazi pogroms against Jews 85 years ago and at the same time showed solidarity with Israel, which was attacked by Hamas. Parchim's mayor Dirk Flörke described the day of the massacre by the Islamist terrorist organization on 7 October as a turning point. "The consensus of 'never again' was broken on this day," he said at an event at the former site of the Parchim synagogue.
State Parliament President Birgit Hesse emphasized on Thursday in Schwerin that the pogrom night was one of the darkest chapters in German history. It shows "how quickly a mixture of propaganda, prejudice and the failure of institutions can have a devastating effect if all this is not stopped". At the same time, she recalled the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989: "November 9 reminds us, but it also gives us hope."
The chairman of the Jewish community in Rostock, Juri Rosov, said that the commemoration of the pogrom night was different this year and that the mood in the Jewish community was not good. "I see this every day and also sense that many members of the community are worried and afraid." For example, some parents did not want their children to talk publicly about their affiliation to Judaism. "They are really afraid for their children. It is always difficult to say how justified these fears are."
At the same time, Rosov emphasized the wave of solidarity in Germany since the Hamas attack on Israel around a month ago. There have been many offers of help and support from politicians, the police and society. "The wave is quite big and noticeable for us. That is important for us. We don't feel left alone," Rosov told the German Press Agency.
In Rostock, the attacks on the night of the pogrom occurred mainly during the course of November 10, 1938. This Friday (November 10), the community will meet for a prayer of mourning at the Jewish cemetery in Lindenpark and then go to the site of the old synagogue.
Jeannine Rösler, Chairwoman of the Left Party parliamentary group in the Schwerin state parliament, recalled that on the night of November 9-10, 1938, parts of the German population acted with brutal violence and cruelty against Jews. "They murdered numerous people, looted and destroyed Jewish property and burned down synagogues throughout the German Reich."
The Nazi pogrom night therefore reminds every individual and society as a whole to oppose with all their might those who try to relativize what happened and spread hatred, incitement, anti-Semitism and racism.
The co-chair of the MV Greens, Katharina Horn, said with regard to the current situation that it was an unbearable thought that Jewish fellow citizens in Germany felt unsafe again, 85 years after the synagogues had burned in the country. However, blaming immigrants from Arab countries for this is "cynical and simply hollow populism".
Meanwhile, on the night of November 9, unknown persons daubed swastikas on the two pillars of Anklam town hall. The two swastikas, measuring 55 by 55 centimetres, were sprayed onto the sandstone pillars with black paint, the police announced on Thursday. A city employee discovered them in the morning.
The commemoration of the Nazi pogrom night highlights the impact of National Socialism's propaganda and prejudice, demonstrating how quickly it can lead to devastating consequences. During World War II, the actions against Jews were a dark chapter in German History, symbolized by the attacks on the night of November 9-10.
Source: www.dpa.com
