Neuss remembers the victims of the November pogrom: responsibility demanded!

Neuss remembers the victims of the November pogrom: responsibility demanded!

On November 10, 2025, an impressive memorial hour took place in Neuss to remember the victims of the November pogrom of 1938. On this memorable day, representatives of the Jewish community, the Christian churches, politics as well as students and citizens gathered at the memorial on Promenadenstrasse to pause and remember together. Mayor Reiner Breuer opened the event with a moving speech in which he recalled the destruction of Jewish shops and the burning of the Neuss synagogue on the night of November 9th to 10th, 1938. He made it clear that responsibility for what happened in the past also plays an important role in the present.

The increase in anti-Semitic incidents in Germany is particularly alarming, as Breuer reported. In 2024, 940 cases were registered in North Rhine-Westphalia, which represents an increase of 42 percent compared to previous years. These developments cast a shadow on social reality and the question of how we have to deal with it. In the context of the commemoration, Bert Römgens, chairman of the Neuss Jewish Community, recalled the devastating consequences of the persecution of Jewish families. He also spoke about the tightened security situation for Jews that has existed since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. “We must take an active stand against anti-Semitism,” he urged.

The role of memory

The event also provided space for students from the Erft comprehensive school to report on their memorial trip to Auschwitz. Her encounter with contemporary witness Hanna Kleinberg was particularly moving, as she gave the young people vivid insights into the fate of the victims. The students held a minute's silence for the murdered Neuss Lehmann family and recited a poem that discussed pain, loss and hope. Their contributions made it clear that memory is not just the past, but also a key question for the present and future.

The memorial day was supplemented by the words of Dorothea Gravemann, who comes from the Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation. She spoke about the state-organized violence of 1938 and the polarization that has been observed in public discourse since 2023. She also emphasized the importance of not trivializing or relativizing anti-Semitic positions. This is also confirmed by the definition of anti-Semitism, which is described as hostility or discrimination against Jews as a religious or ethnic group. This form of hate has manifested itself throughout history in varying forms, from subtle discrimination to extreme acts of violence.

Anti-Semitism through the ages

Anti-Semitism has a long-known but painful history. It goes back to ancient times, where Jews often came into conflict with the polytheistic environment because of their monotheistic religion. This rivalry continued into the Middle Ages, when anti-Semitic views became manifest in Christian teaching. The term “anti-Semitism”, coined by Wilhelm Marr in 1879, not only describes a form of racist hatred, but has also mutated in modern times to encompass both religious and political dimensions. The modern world has seen an increase in anti-Semitic expression, often reinforced by conspiracy theories and social unrest, particularly in the context of the Middle East conflict.

Mayor Breuer closed the memorial hour with an urgent appeal: “Remembrance is the strongest protection against forgetting, for this we need courage and a voice.” This message becomes increasingly relevant as we face the challenges of the present and integrate the lessons of the past into our lives today.