Texas State community members gathered together Oct. 9 in remembrance of the 80th Anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass.
This past Friday, students and faculty were invited to gather at the Honors Coffee-Forum in Lampasas for a remembrance event about the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht, known as the Night of Broken Glass.
Margaret Menninger, associate professor of history, began the event with a history of Kristallnacht.
In history, this Kristallnacht marks the escalation of hostility by the Nazi campaign toward Jewish people during World War II.
This event was organized by Louie Dean Valencia, assistant professor of history, who discussed contemporary and historic anti-semitism. The remembrance of Kristallnacht at Texas State brought the community together to share their thoughts and feelings about the importance of discussing this event in history.
It has been 80 years since the anti-Semitic politics against Jewish people were put in place during the Nazi reign.
On Nov. 9, 1938, an order was given by Nazi German authorities to terrorize thousands of Jewish citizens. This moment in history remains very important to discuss in today’s time.
“The reason why (remembering Kristallnacht) is important is that often times we think about these events as something totally new, and while there is a new iteration of hate we need to be able to think about the legacies of the past as well,” Valencia said.
The remembrance was followed by several German short poems read by Susan Morrison, David Navarro and assistant professor of modern languages Lisa Haegele. Additionally, the night saw a musical performance by cellist Gabriel Vazquez and readings by Rebecca Raphael, philosophy professor, from the works of Elie Wiesel author of “Night”, one of the most influential books on the Holocaust.
Bethany Ortiz, communications studies sophomore, heard about the remembrance event through one of her German classes. Ortiz is also a student of Lisa Haegele and agreed to read a poem to everyone about the Night of Broken Glass.
“To my understanding, the importance of this event is a response to the current acts of hate that are taking place, (attending this event) brings the community together to let others know that this isn’t okay,” Ortiz said.
The fight against anti-Semitism and hatred gets stronger every day with the support of the community. As people come together, change can be possible in any way.
The 80th Anniversary Remembrance of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, was sponsored by every college on campus in solidarity.