What is Krystallnacht?

In the Autumn of 1938: Hitler’s storm troops began a pogrom – orgnised violence on a mass scale – against German Jewish people. Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues were attacked, looted and burned. Jews across Germany were murdered or imprisoned.

This night came to be known as Kristallnacht – The Night of Broken Glass. Kristallnacht signaled the onset of the Holocaust in which 6 million Jews were to lose their lives.

Commemoration – Candlelit Vigil held at Gray’s Monument, Newcastle City Center – 1999

Posters at Grey’s Monument, Newcastle upon Tyne City Centre: Tyne and Wear Anti-Fascist Association invited members, local activists and the general public to commemorate Kristallnacht.

European Events

European Remembrance: each year anti-fascists across Europe gather in an international day of solidarity, to remember the victims of the Holocaust and to highlight the plight of today’s victims of discrimination, especially refugees and asylum seekers.

Romania: of the many events reported in the news-sheet "United" we are including an account of events in Romania.

Photograph: A holocaust survivor is interviewed for Romanian television.

"In Romanian society ethnic diversity is often associated with exclusion and/or intolerance. There has been a significant progress in inter-ethnic relations during the last few years, but there is still much to be done. Anti-Roma racism remains a particular problem and ultra-nationalist parties still enjoy a lot of support.

The 1999 commemoration of the "Kristallnacht" pogrom was particularly strong in Romania.

On 7th-9th November Youth Action for Peace (YAP) organised a campaign against fascism in Cluj-Napoca which included discussions in schools, a film screening, and a concert of Jewish music. YAP and the Jewish community held a meeting and a concert at a synagogue in Oradea on 7th November. On 9 November there was a street performance and an exhibition of children’s pictures.

In Tirgu-Mures and Odorheiul Secuiesc the Liga Pro Europa organised a visit to a synagogue for school students, meetings with historians and witnesses of the Holocaust.

Commemorative events took place in the capital city of Bucharest, too. A coalition of religious groups (Baha’i), minority organisations (Roma, Jewish, German) and anti-racist activists (ASLIR) organised a symposium, a theatre show, and a discussion about discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin. The Roma organisation CRISS held a press conference and distributed UNITED material to 70 organisations throughout the country." (Reprinted from "United")