As of: November 9th, 2023 5:03 p.m
There was a larger police presence than usual when laying five new stumbling blocks on Thursday, but also more participants. Several hundred students took a stand against anti-Semitism.
The fact that the laying of stumbling blocks is accompanied by police officers is something that has never happened in Bad Segeberg (Segeberg district). The current security situation in Germany has changed that. Five new stumbling blocks were laid on Thursday morning – with police protection. After Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel, organizer Axel Winkler consulted with the Jewish community, the police and Bad Segeberg’s mayor Toni Köppen. “We of course took October 7th seriously here in little Segeberg,” said Winkler, who has been organizing the laying of the stumbling blocks in Bad Segeberg for years.
No acute danger situation in Schleswig-Holstein
The police then decided to increase their presence as a precautionary measure. “Of course, a global political situation contributes to the fact that we assess the number of operations differently,” said police spokesman Michael Bergmann. The 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht also played a role. According to Bergmann, there is currently no specific danger in Schleswig-Holstein. In contrast to previous years, members of the Jewish community were not at the event.
And some parents were also concerned about the increased police presence. According to Winkler, a primary school that was supposed to be actively involved in laying a stone canceled. At the same time, there was a lot of support from the city. “I’m actually very happy that we’re having the effect that more people have registered than ever before.” Several hundred students from various schools accompanied the transfers. “That’s quite remarkable. That means: Segeberg shows its colors, shows its face and that’s what’s absolutely encouraging today. The fact that I’m surrounded by 100, 150 young people here.”
Not fear, but the desire to make a statement
Mayor Toni Köppen sees the stumbling blocks, which commemorate victims of National Socialism, as an important part of the culture of remembrance in public space. It is frightening that anti-Semitism is rising again. “What’s worse is that we have to have the police accompany events like this,” said Köppen in a speech. “This shows me that it is important to stand up in our city today and say that we will never allow something like this to happen again.” It was also important for 14-year-old Lotte Noack, who gave a speech herself, to set an example: “There is also this saying: Never again is now. And it must not be repeated.”
There have been 40 stumbling blocks in Bad Segeberg so far. Since this Thursday, Helene Dürkop, Selma Claren, Charlotte Gurwitsch, Martin Baruch and Rosa Behrendt have also been remembered.
Further information
At the behest of the National Socialists, a number of synagogues and Jewish shops burned down in northern Germany on November 9, 1938. more
The artist Gunter Demnig remembers the Nazi victims with stumbling blocks. Cleaning campaigns are taking place on today’s anniversary of Kristallnacht. more
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NDR 1 Wave North | News for Schleswig-Holstein | November 9, 2023 | 14:00 clock