Artigenda
International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism
When: Annually, November 9.
November 9, 1938, went down in history as Kristallnacht. It is commemorated annually during the International Day against Fascism and Antisemitism (on November 9).
About Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, known as the Night of Broken Glass, took place on 9 and 10 November 1938 in Germany and Austria. Thousands of Jewish property was destroyed and an estimated 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and deported to concentration camps. Kristallnacht is often regarded as the large-scale beginning of the Nazi persecution of Jews, which was the final prelude to the Endlösung der Judenfrage (the final or final solution to the Jewish question), which only really took shape with the systematic extermination of Jews in Europe from the first half of 1941 onwards. Here, the Wannsee Conference of January 20, 1942, and the subsequent Aktion Reinhard (1942 – 1943) played a decisive role.
Assault on Ernst vom Rath
Something that Kristallnacht demonstrated was how there could be a kind of organized folk court in response to an event abroad in a very short time. In the background, there was a tight direction by the Nazis. One had a free pass to go after Jews after German diplomat Ernst vom Rath (June 3, 1909 – November 9, 1938) was shot at the embassy in Paris on November 7 by Herschel Grynszpan (March 28, 1921 – presumably sometime in 1942).
Grynszpan, 17 years old at the time, went about his act because of the living conditions of the family members who were still left behind. He had been touched by a letter from his sister in Hanover, where his family had been living for years, in which she wrote how hard she had it. The aim was actually to kill the ambassador, only he failed to do so. Two days after the attack, Vom Rath died.
Role of Goebbels
It was mainly Joseph Goebbels (October 29, 1897 – May 1, 1945), who wanted to take advantage of this assassination attempt. Logical, because besides being Berlin’s governor, he was also minister of Propaganda. Moreover, he was embroiled in an extramarital affair, of which Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945) had been made aware. For this very reason, Goebbels understood that this was a good time to strike. He did so by holding all Jews responsible for Vom Rath’s death. The first step was the banning of all Jewish media organizations thus also depriving Jewish residents of Germany of an opportunity to flee the country. Newspaper magazines allowed people to read about opportunities for immigration abroad. These opportunities were limited. They were.
Another ban had to do with excluding children from regular education. Jewish children were no longer allowed to attend regular education. From then on, they were only allowed to attend special schools, which were meant only for Jewish children. All cultural activities for Jewish residents of Germany were stopped immediately.
All this did not go far enough. On the night of 9-10 November, it would all go much further. Initially, this discontent arose from part of the population itself. People decided to direct their anger at Jewish entrepreneurs after news broke that Vom Rath had died. Remember, the Nazis’ propaganda machine was already running like a smooth machine immediately after taking power in the early 1930s. This time it was not much different from before. Jews were blamed. Be it that this time it was an attack on a member of the embassy staff in Paris. The propaganda machine made all Jewish residents of Germany the culprits, so some residents of German cities decided to seek redress in response. This news reached a group of senior members of the NSDAP. They were gathered in Munich’s old town hall. There, a commemoration of a very different event was taking place.
Beer cellar coup
In the evening and night of November 8-9, 1923, the situation looked very different for the Nazis. Then they tried to seize power during the Bierkellerputsch, or the Hitler-Ludendorff-Butsch. This failed and Hitler, along with other high-ranking Nazis, had to go to jail, albeit for a short period. Thus communists and socialists were dealt with many times harder. They received prison sentences of up to 17 years or even death in other cases. This conspiracy was punished with a lenient five-year sentence for Hitler, of which he only had to serve 13 months.
Very different was the situation during the commemoration of this attempted coup. The Nazis’ most fanatical supporters decided to go after Jews. Voluntarily. No one had told them to do this. Once this did become known at the Munich meeting, they decided not to let the police intervene very harshly. Moreover, members of the SA were instructed. They were allowed to get involved.
Fasanenstrasse Synagogue
On Goebbels’ orders, the Fasanenstrasse Synagogue, closed by the Nazis in 1936, was destroyed. This 1905 building, built in Neo-Romanesque style, was located in Berlin’s Charlottenburg district. The fire brigade only made sure that the fire in the building would not spread to other, surrounding buildings. It was then a bombing in 1943 by the Western Allies that caused the Fasanenstrasse Synagogue to be destroyed.
Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Source: Wikimedia Commons.
The synagogue was rebuilt after the war, partly with materials from the destroyed synagogue. The cornerstone was laid in 1957. During the commemoration of Kristallnacht on November 9, 1969, the synagogue was targeted by a bomb attack. Only the bomb did not go off. Since 2006, the synagogue has not been used as a place of worship. It is now used as office space and an education center.
Why the International Day against Fascism and Antisemitism?
The day is there to create awareness about the dangers of fascism and antisemitism. In doing so, it is good to look at history. What happened in the most recent history? What was the role of certain leaders during Kristallnacht? When it comes to Goebbels’ role, for example, it consisted of a guiding role, in the background. Which ensured that the people proceeded to do repugnant deeds.
That is “only” the executive side. That is what the excesses of fascism and anti-Semitism can do. A day like today is also there to look at what is necessary to prevent all this. Then there is a need to look critically at how things are going right now. Fascism and anti-Semitism walk side by side. They can also operate separately. It is possible to adopt a particular position that represents fascism but does not necessarily imply anti-Semitism. Conversely, this is also possible. Besides, the question is whether everything is anti-Semitism by definition. Criticism of the functioning of the government of Israel is not necessarily anti-Semitism. It can be a similar criticism to that of other countries.
A day like today is above all a warning. To look at the past, learn lessons from it, and then take a critical look at the present. Do we want a world where hate and discrimination prevail? In which we are guided by gut feelings? In which scapegoats exist?
Tolerance and inclusiveness should be central on a day like today. In which it should not matter what religion is involved. Where each other’s political differences should not get in the way, provided it does not involve the specter of fascism. When it does involve the specter of fascism, it does get in the way.
Thanks to Kristallnacht, we know what was possible through madness. By popular anger, but also by cool calculation. By clever direction in the background, where propaganda was deployed cunningly. These are all things to think about today. Whether we want these things tomorrow. If right, the answer is no.
Objectives of the day
The International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism has several objectives:
- Remembrance: Remembering the victims of Kristallnacht the Holocaust.
- Raising awareness: Raising awareness about the dangers of fascism and anti-Semitism in modern society.
- Education: Promoting education/education so that people can learn about the history and consequences of hatred and intolerance.
- Action: Encouraging individuals and intiatives through communities to take action against hate and discrimination.
Activities
Various activities and events are organised around the world on this day. These may include memorial services, educational workshops, lectures and exhibitions. Many schools and universities participate in this day by organising special programmes aimed at teaching students about the history of fascism and anti-Semitism and the importance of tolerance and inclusiveness.
Role of education
Education plays an important role in fighting fascism and anti-Semitism. When you teach people about history and its social consequences, it can help. Provided you bring this in the right way. What can further help is understanding what the consequences are, today. This is done through education and information schools and universities. At the same time, initiatives should also be shown towards society, to reach out to others. Only then will understanding and respect be promoted.
Modern challenges
It all seems a long time ago, Kristallnacht. True enough. Just remember that certain political parties have embraced the essence of fascism. These are even parties that have won a place through the democratic process. This is while they do not care for the democratic process. The modern challenges are to make people realize that it can be dangerous to make certain decisions that affect democratic values or detract from the future in terms of tolerance and inclusiveness.
Source: Wikimedia Commons.
