Wiesbaden Unites Against Antisemitism on Kristallnacht’s 87th Anniversary
Wiesbaden's Jewish community faced recent hate speech and abusive messages, yet the city stood united against antisemitism. On Sunday, October 12, residents formed a human chain around the community center, demonstrating solidarity. The city marked the 87th anniversary of Kristallnacht, remembering the destruction of its synagogue and the persecution of its Jewish citizens.
Young Voices and students from Carl-von-Ossietzky Schule brought history to life. They recalled the vibrant Jewish community before the Holocaust, including a kindergarten and elementary school. They also traced how the Nazis targeted Jews, starting with boycotts and the Nuremberg Laws. Individual stories, like those of Alice Dora, Edmund Kappell, Paul Kessler, and Berthold Gutmann, were shared. The Ribbon of Names was placed at the heart of the commemoration, bearing the names of known victims.
The commemoration took place at the memorial site of the former synagogue on Michelsberg, which was burned down in 1938. Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende, Jewish community representatives, and citizens gathered to honor the memory of the destroyed synagogue and the systematic disenfranchisement, deportations, and murders that followed. They underscored the responsibility of civil society today to combat antisemitism, which remains present in Wiesbaden, with Jewish residents feeling growing insecurity since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.
Wiesbaden's commemoration of Kristallnacht served as a reminder of the city's past and a call to action for its future. Despite recent hate speech and messages, the city stands united against antisemitism, as shown by the human chain around the community center. The commemoration honored the memory of those persecuted and emphasized the importance of civil society's responsibility in combating antisemitism today.
