Memorial event at Lappenberg: Remembering together and showing stance

Remembering together, taking responsibility and showing stance

At the historical site of the former Jewish center at Lappenberg, Hildesheim gathers for a public memorial hour for the victims of the November pogroms of 1938. The event connects cultural remembrance, quiet reflection, and community engagement against exclusion, anti-Semitism, and racism.

A sign against forgetting

Mayor Dr. Ingo Meyer, Channah von Eickstedt and Kathrin Abraham from the Jewish Community of Hildesheim, Pastor Dr. Janis Berzins from the Hildesheim-Sarstedt church district, as well as students from the Robert-Bosch Comprehensive School remember the crimes of the night of November 9 to 10, 1938, and the ensuing acts of violence.

In Hildesheim, Jewish individuals were arrested, homes and businesses were looted, and religious centers were destroyed. The synagogue at Lappenberg was also destroyed. Its former location remains a sobering memorial site today and invites people to consciously perceive history and take responsibility for the present.

Words, prayer, and musical accompaniment

The memorial event provides space for speeches, personal remembrance, and collective pause. The International Choir musically accompanies the memorial hour and creates a dignified atmosphere where grief, empathy, and hope are interwoven.

The religious and social perspectives of the participants make it clear that remembrance is a shared task. The spiritual community at Lappenberg focuses on the dignity of every person and the importance of lived solidarity.

Official channels

The event is supported by the City of Hildesheim and the Office for Culture and Foundations. Registration is not required for the public memorial hour. Interested youth, adults, and seniors are invited to participate in this faith experience and sign of democratic responsibility.

Conclusion

Visitors can expect a dignified memorial hour with historical reflections, speeches from Jewish, ecclesiastical, and communal perspectives, as well as musical accompaniment. Those who want to stand together with others against forgetting and against inhumane ideologies will experience an important moment of remembrance and connection at Lappenberg.

Sources:

• Hildesheim Tourism – Memorial event in remembrance of the victims of the Reich Pogrom Night
• City of Hildesheim – Speech for the memorial event on November 9
• inmycity Hildesheim – Event calendar