Commemoration on November 9th: Remembering the pogrom night in Tiengen

Commemoration on November 9th: Remembering the pogrom night in Tiengen

On November 9, 2025, people in Germany will remember a “fateful day” in history. This date commemorates several important events that shaped the country. Again South Courier reported, the day commemorates not only the proclamation of the German Republic in 1918 and Adolf Hitler's first failed coup attempt in 1923, but also the terrible events of Kristallnacht in 1938.

On November 9, 1938, there were brutal attacks on Jewish citizens in Germany. The trigger was the assassination attempt by the Jewish teenager Herschel Grynszpan on the German diplomat Ernst vom Rath. The National Socialists raged for days and left a picture of horror in many cities. In Tiengen in particular, the SA carried out violent actions in which Jewish citizens were taken from their homes and taken to Waldshut prison. As the reports show, not only were people mistreated, but property was also vandalized and synagogues were destroyed. Mayor Wilhelm Gutmann even ordered the destruction of the Jewish community, which led to the burning of religious objects.

Remembering the victims

Traditionally, commemorative events take place nationwide on November 9th. This year there will be a special memorial hour at the Jewish cemetery in Tiengen, in which 20 new steles will be inaugurated. The deceased who had to suffer under the Nazi regime can be remembered here. In memory of the dead, a memorial stele was erected in the cemetery in 1946, listing the names of the deceased, supplemented by other memorials that have been created over the years.

November 9th is not only a day of mourning, but also a day of reflection on the values ​​of democracy and human dignity that are currently at risk. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will address the current challenges in a keynote speech. As the daily news reports, he will honor the courage of the people in the GDR with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and emphasize that the Peaceful Revolution was a result of the long fight for freedom.

A number with a story

It is also interesting that November 9th has a special connection to the number “9”, which has a special meaning in many cultures. In Chinese culture, 9 is considered a lucky number, while it plays a central role in Indian mythology, for example in the Navaratri festival. Like the information on Wikipedia show, 9 is also the largest single-digit number in the decimal system and is important in various areas of mathematics and natural sciences.

Overall, November 9th shows not only its dark history, but also the unceasing struggle for memory, coming to terms with it and the future of democracy in Germany. It remains the task of future generations to preserve the lessons of the past and work for a peaceful and just society.