Eighty-seven years have passed since Kristallnacht. The memorial plaque for the former Jewish prayer hall is not only a place of remembrance. It also touches upon a still gaping wound in Altenburg's history. It serves, not least, as a reminder of that November 1938, when the collapse of civilization became visible in our city as well – when Jewish citizens were humiliated, beaten, and arrested. The prayer hall was ransacked, Torah scrolls torn out, and books scattered. With this, Jewish life in Altenburg – admittedly a rather quiet, but integral part of our community – was effectively silenced.
Twenty-one men from Altenburg were arrested that night, twelve of them later deported to Buchenwald. This was not an outburst of blind rage, but the visible expression of a system that had long since abolished humanity.
And the injustice did not end with the war's conclusion in 1945. Many perpetrators remained unmolested, able to continue living as if nothing had happened. One of them was Dr. Otto Grimm, mayor of Altenburg until his removal from office. Despite his involvement in the persecution of the Jewish population, he was classified after the war merely as a "fellow traveler," pursued a successful career, and was even awarded honorary titles. Such biographies demonstrate how incomplete the process of coming to terms with the past remained for a long time, how injustice could continue even after the collapse of the Nazi regime.
In Altenburg, too, the path to remembrance was a long one. Only sporadically were the victims spoken of, and well-known figures like Albert Levy, Nathan Dannemann, or Karl Schorr-Lassen remembered. Only
gradually did people begin to speak the names of the victims again, to preserve their stories. This mostly happened quietly; an official form of commemoration for the Jewish people of Altenburg only emerged after the Peaceful Revolution. But remembrance does not end with memorial plaques and anniversaries. It begins where we take responsibility – in our thoughts, in our actions, in our attitude towards one another.
Remembering is not about dwelling on guilt. It is about taking responsibility – for yesterday, today, and tomorrow. It is about preserving the names and breaking the silence. Remembrance is not merely looking back – it is the very breath of our humanity. Let us remember those who were torn from our midst. Let us give back to those who could no longer speak for themselves their place in society. Let us remain human.