87 years after Kristallnacht: Jews in fear for their safety

87 years after Kristallnacht: Jews in fear for their safety

Today, November 9, 2025, we remember the victims of the terrible Kristallnacht pogrom that took place 87 years ago. On that day, synagogues burned in Germany, destroying lives and leaving scars that can still be felt today. Interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack (CDU) expressed concern in a recent statement about the ongoing fear that many Jewish people feel. These fears show that Jewish fellow citizens in Germany do not enjoy the freedom that other citizens enjoy. Sütterlin-Waack emphasizes: “We must do everything we can to ensure that Jews can feel safe.”

Kristallnacht, also known as Kristallnacht, represents one of the worst periods of anti-Semitic persecution in Germany. On November 9th and 10th, 1938, widespread riots occurred in which National Socialist troops, as well as numerous German civilians, brutally attacked Jewish shops and institutions. Over 1,400 synagogues were destroyed and at least 91 people died, while an estimated 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and deported to concentration camps. The event, triggered by the assassination of the German diplomat Ernst vom Rath, was a precursor to the Holocaust that would lead to the murder of six million Jews. This night is seen in history as a turning point that divided society between moral action and blind obedience while the world watched, and often just watched.

Insight into the present

But even today the danger remains present in the minds of many Jewish people. In Schleswig-Holstein in particular, there is currently no concrete threat to Jewish institutions, as Sütterlin-Waack emphasizes. Nevertheless, it is in close contact with the Jewish communities in order to be able to adapt police measures and increase the feeling of security. From a historical perspective, it is clear that the Jewish communities in Germany can look back on a centuries-long history that includes both prosperous periods and tragic turning points.

Jewish history on German soil dates back to the year 321. Over the centuries, a vibrant Jewish culture developed that lasted into the 20th century. The Enlightenment led to the political emancipation of the Jews, even if their history was heavily marked by exclusion, hatred and violence. After the National Socialists came to power in 1933, Jews experienced an unprecedented policy of extermination. After the war, Jewish life was slowly rebuilt. With the influx of Jewish people from the former Soviet Union in the 1990s, the Jewish community in Germany experienced a renewed upswing. Today Germany is one of the countries with the third largest Jewish community in Europe.

Remembering and commemorating

On the occasion of today's Remembrance Day, commemorative events are taking place in many cities. Gunter Demnig's stumbling blocks commemorated the victims of National Socialism and the destruction of Jewish life. These small stone slabs that are laid in front of the houses of victims of the Nazi regime are a symbol that must not be forgotten. Cleaning campaigns are also being organized in various cities to clean synagogues and Jewish memorials and create a place of remembrance, especially at a time when anti-Semitism continues to show signs of spreading again.

The arson attack on the Lübeck synagogue in March 1994 is another example of the challenges that Jewish life still faces today. The road to freedom and security continues to be a rocky one for many Jewish people in Germany. But we will continue to work with all our might to achieve respectful and peaceful coexistence, which we must continue to pay appropriate attention to in the future.