Memory in Pforzheim: Remember the Reichspogromnacht 2024

Memory in Pforzheim: Remember the Reichspogromnacht 2024

Pforzheim, Deutschland - On November 9, 2024, the Reichspogromnacht was the 86th time - a date that stands for unimaginable suffering in German history. In Pforzheim, this fateful day was recognized with a moving memorial event on November 11th in the atrium of the Volksbankhaus. The city of Pforzheim and the Jewish community invited around 150 guests to commemorate the victims together. Mayor Peter Boch opened the ceremony and emphasized the urgency of learning from the past. "We can only pull teaching from the past if we remember the Shoah," he said urgently. He asked the question of how the memory of these dark chapters can be preserved if the last contemporary witnesses are no longer among us. "The responsibility of preserving their stories will pass to all of us," continued Boch, what the attendees stimulated to think. These words underline the importance of commemoration and the obligation to keep the memory alive, as well as the city of Pforzheim reported.

a moving program

The event not only offered a speech, but also a profound presentation by Zia al-Qasim, a student of the Reuchlin high school. She presented the project "Digital Wingitudeship", which was initiated by the German Exilarchive 1933-1945 of the German National Library in Frankfurt. Her class had previously visited the exhibition "Ask for! Digital interactive interviews with Inge Auerbacher and Kurt S. Maier" and dealt intensively with the topic of contemporary witnesses. Zia al-Qasim emphasized: "We have to give this person who had to experience this unspeakable suffering." Her words echoed through the room and illustrated the responsibility of the younger generation to keep the memory awake.

Musically, the commemoration of Fenella Bockmaier was accompanied by the piano, which underlined the emotional atmosphere of the event with their performances of "Melancholy Reflection" and "As long as the candle is burning". After the prayer of the rabbi Moshe Yudelevitz, a common wreath laying took place at the memorial on the "Square of the Synagogue", which rounded off the solemn framework.

Together for the memory

The memorial event in Pforzheim is not just an annual ritual, but a strong sign of the community. It is prepared by the city of Pforzheim, the Jewish community, the working group of Christian communities (ACG) and representations of Pforzheim schools. In cooperation with PUR, a room is created in which the memory of the victims of the Shoah is kept alive. This collective effort is crucial to ensure that the horrors of the past are not forgotten, as well as the Jewish community Pforzheim emphasized.

in a world in which forgetting is a constant danger, the memory of the Reichspogromnacht is more than just a duty - it is an act of humanity. The city of Pforzheim and the Jewish community show that the memory of the past is a bridge to the future that connects us all. Only by preserving the stories and sharing the memories can we make sure that such cruel deeds never repeat.