Most of the fans’ chorea are related to football, now the fans have recalled a historical event. “I don’t know at all in whose head the idea arose, who did it and whose activity it is, but that’s not important. What is important is that someone from the non-Jewish public remembered that there was a synagogue here and that someone burned it down and it is no longer here. That’s very valuable,” said the chairman of the Jewish community in Liberec, Michal Hron, who appreciated the non-traditional choreo of football fans.
“Furthermore, at a time, and perhaps this was also the cause, when the conflict between Israel and Hamas is in full swing here, and someone here again fanned the thousand-year-old anti-Semitism, the seemingly extinguished ashes. All these connections fill me with recognition, respect and optimism that someone will be found who put up such a huge banner,” added Hron.
The tarpaulin shows a burning synagogue, which the Nazis burned down in November 1938 during the so-called Kristallnacht pogrom, with a crossed out swastika and the inscription anti-Semitism. The synagogue under Ještěd was reduced to ashes in the morning hours of November 11. In its place today stands the regional library, which includes a new Jewish prayer hall.
“As this November was the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht and the events associated with it, we decided to commemorate it. Since Liberec was predominantly German at the time, we prepared the banners this time in German,” explained one of the authors and members of the Supras Core fan group, who wanted to remain anonymous.
“Most of the choreographies we create are purely club events to motivate our players, or they are some kind of messages towards opponents and the like. Because we, the fans, and the club as such, consider us an integral part of our city and region, we also comment on our local history from time to time,” he added, adding that the most demanding part of the giant painting was the detailed redrawing of the historic photo of the synagogue in flames.