Commemoration of the pogrom night: silent march in Berlin on November 7th

Commemoration of the pogrom night: silent march in Berlin on November 7th

On Friday, November 7th, 2025, a memorial event will take place at 4:30 p.m. to remember the victims of the pogrom night of November 9th, 1938. This is organized jointly by the Gottfried Keller High School, the Berlin State Police Academy and the Walther Rathenau High School. District councilor Heike Schmitt-Schmelz and district councilor Judith Stückler also took part in the celebration. The silent march begins at the memorial stone for Walther Rathenau, which is located on the corner of Erdener Straße and Koenigsallee in Berlin, and ends at the “Gleis 17” memorial at the Grunewald S-Bahn station.

The memorial on platform 17 is a central place of remembrance, where many Jewish citizens were deported during the Nazi era. The final rally at the memorial will take place from 5 p.m. Anyone interested is invited to bring candles that can be placed there as a sign of remembrance. This event is part of a tradition that annually commemorates the brutal events of the pogrom night that took place in Germany in 1938.

Tradition of the silent march

The memorial event is an integral part of the remembrance process and attracts many participants every year. Last year, a similar event took place on November 8, 2024, which was also organized by the Gottfried Keller High School, the Berlin State Police Academy and the Walther Rathenau High School. The silent march, which dates back to the events of the pogrom night, is of great emotional significance for many people, especially for the Jewish community.

The event will traditionally focus on a joint commemoration of the historical tragedy. The participation of the district representatives also underlines the social responsibility for remembering and admonishing.

Context about memorial events

The overall context shows that such commemorative events are important not only in Germany, but also in other countries, such as France, where society deals with controversial topics such as cyberbullying and slander in political discourse. In a recent case, ten people are on trial in Paris for spreading malicious comments about first lady Brigitte Macron. This shows how important it is not only to commemorate history, but also to promote values ​​of respect and humanity in everyday life. Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron have been fighting for years against slander and conspiracy theories that can tarnish the first lady's public image and endanger her health.

These currents of remembrance and engagement with the past are crucial to sensitize future generations to the issues of respect and tolerance. The silent march to the “Gleis 17” memorial is an important contribution to this and invites everyone to take part in this important tradition.