Nidda commemorates the night of the pogrom: students speak out against anti-Semitism!

Nidda commemorates the night of the pogrom: students speak out against anti-Semitism!

In Nidda, the 87th anniversary of Kristallnacht will be celebrated with a moving memorial service on November 10, 2025. Mayor Thorsten Eberhard (CDU) welcomed numerous citizens, including the head of the city council Adelheid Spruck and Hildegard Schiebe, the director of the Jewish Museum. A centerpiece of the event was the participation of students from the Altenburg School, who actively dealt with the sensitive topic of anti-Semitism. Headmaster Kerstin Schmidt, department head Fadime Öksüz and trainee teacher Melis Firat were also present.

As part of the ceremony, candles were lit and placed in front of a memorial. Eberhard vividly recalled the events of November 9, 1938, when synagogues burned in Germany and countless Jewish people were mistreated, arrested or killed. He referred to the cruel preparation of the Shoah and the murder of six million people, a historical turning point that must not be forgotten. A specific example was given of a Jewish family from Cologne whose shops were looted and whose relatives were persecuted, which illustrated the horrors of that time. The children of this family escaped to England at the last minute, while the parents were later murdered.

Responsibility for the future

Particularly impressive was the contribution of Margot Friedländer, a Holocaust survivor, who emphasized: “You are not responsible for what happened, but you are responsible for ensuring that it does not happen again.” Students from class 10b asked the listeners important questions about the responsibility of remembering and called for a decisive plea against anti-Semitism, racism and for respect and solidarity.

The memorial hour not only remembered the victims, such as Emanuel Eckstein, who was hunted down and murdered by young people, but also of the social responsibility that each individual bears. There is a memorial stone in Nidda Park that commemorates 17 displaced Jewish families, and stumbling blocks in the city also set an example against forgetting.

Current situation and increasing threats

As the hessenschau reports, Jewish life in Germany is currently under great pressure. Anti-Semitic incidents in Hesse rose by around 75% in 2024 compared to the previous year. A total of 926 incidents were reported and the situation has continued to deteriorate since the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU) calls for decisive action against anti-Semitism and calls for the work of remembrance to be continued so that the horrors of the past are not repeated.

The event in Nidda was not only a tribute to the past, but also a call to action for the present and future. Thanks to the committed students on stage and the speakers, a strong message was sent against anti-Semitism. At the end, the mayor warmly thanked everyone involved for their commitment and active participation in this important commemoration.