Wreath-laying ceremony at the stele on Stephanplatz - commemoration of the victims of the pogrom night
Wreath-laying ceremony on 9 November at 10 a.m. at the stele on Stephanplatz
To commemorate and remember the Jewish citizens of the city who were victims of the fascist pogrom night on 9 November 1938 or who were murdered in the following years during the fascist tyranny, the City of Chemnitz will hold a memorial event at the stele on Stephanplatz on Wednesday, 9 November 2016 at 10 am.
Mayor Barbara Ludwig is asking citizens to take part in the event as a committed sign of active remembrance and at the same time to set an example against terror, xenophobia and violence today.
The commemoration will open at 10 a.m. at the stele with a wreath-laying ceremony and a commemorative speech by Mayor Philipp Rochold on behalf of the Lord Mayor. The choir of the Jewish Community of Chemnitz will provide artistic and musical accompaniment to the commemorative event. After the choir singing, Rabbi Jakov Pertsovsky will recite Psalm 130. Dr Ruth Röcher, Chairwoman of the Jewish Community of Chemnitz, will then address words of remembrance to the participants of the event. Rabbi Pertsovsky will conclude the commemoration with the Kaddish, the traditional prayer for the dead.
Background:
The famous Chemnitz Synagogue stood on Stephanplatz, the traditional location of the annual commemoration event organised by the City of Chemnitz together with the Jewish Community of Chemnitz, until its destruction on the night of the pogrom in 1938. The new house of worship of the Jewish community of Chemnitz was consecrated on 24 May 2002 on the Kapellenberg at Stollberger Straße 28. In 2010, the Jewish community of Chemnitz celebrated its 125th anniversary. Before the persecution and murder by the National Socialists, around 3,500 people of Jewish faith lived in Chemnitz in 1933. There are currently 600 members of the Chemnitz Jewish community.
Please note:
In order to be able to hold the commemorative event at the stele on Stephanplatz in an overall dignified and quiet setting appropriate to the occasion, i.e. In order to be able to hold the memorial service at Stephanplatz in an overall dignified and peaceful setting, i.e. without traffic noise from the main roads directly adjacent to the memorial site, Reichsstraße will be fully closed to traffic on Wednesday morning from 9.30 a.m. in the section between Zwickauer Straße and Weststraße. Road users are asked for their consideration and understanding. Detours are available via Zwickauer Straße - Barbarossastraße - Weststraße or Zwickauer Straße - Theaterstraße - Kaßbergauffahrt - Weststraße. The commemorative event will end at around 10.50 a.m. - the road section will be reopened after the event has finished.