More than almost any other date, 9 November is associated with special events in German history. They portray images of upheaval and upheaval, inhuman violence and unbridled joy. On 9 November 1918, the first German republic was proclaimed. On 9 November 1938, during the Reichspogromnacht, members of the SA and NSDAP attacked the Jewish population in the most brutal manner and destroyed numerous synagogues. 35 years ago now, the date marked the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of a divided Germany. Peaceful protests had preceded this "turning point" in 1989.
The persecution of Jews, their discrimination and murder were the goals of National Socialist Germany from the very beginning. With the organised destruction of Jewish institutions and places of worship and the mistreatment and killing of thousands of Jews on the night of 9/10 November, these goals were made official by the state and a systematic genocide began.
The fall of the Wall on 9 November 1989 can certainly be classified differently if it is cited as an example of achieving political goals through non-violent means. At least the fall of the Wall was preceded a few days earlier by a voluntary, peaceful mass protest on Berlin's Alexanderplatz, in which the demonstrators demanded the resignation of the SED government, free elections, freedom of the press and freedom to travel.
District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo: "Many of us probably remember the opening of the Berlin Wall very well, not least because television broadcasts provided unforgettable images. Everything else can be read about in great detail in the history books - including the year 1918 and the Reichspogromnacht, which not too many contemporary witnesses can still tell us about. This makes it all the more important that we keep the memory alive with the intention of standing up for a non-violent society. In recent years, violent riots and racist and anti-Semitic agitation have increased not only in Germany's major cities, but also in rural areas. We must be aware that this is a more than worrying development. And as a result of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, but also in many other places around the world, violence has once again gained the upper hand and thousands of people have already been killed. In order to be able to live in freedom in the future, we must not cease to stand up for a democratic basic order and for diversity. Remembrance also helps us to do this. Despite differences in culture, beliefs or convictions, we all deserve mutual respect and esteem. It would be desirable for everyone to set an appropriate example on 9 November."
In Homburg, for example, there will be a commemorative event on 8 November at 4 pm in the Protestant town church. Afterwards, the plan is to walk together in silence to the ruins of the former synagogue in Klosterstraße. The citizens of Zweibrücken are also invited to commemorate the 86th anniversary of the inhuman attacks during the Reichspogromnacht. The Ecumenical Working Group, the Zweibrücken Historical Society, the Bunte Zweibrücken Action Group and the town of Zweibrücken are organising a free guided tour of Jewish Zweibrücken (4 pm), a commemoration at the former site of the synagogue in Ritterstraße (5 pm), as well as music and thoughts on the pogrom night in the Alexanderskirche (6 pm).