Cologne commemorates the November pogroms: events for remembrance

Cologne commemorates the November pogroms: events for remembrance

On October 30, 2025, the church communities and initiatives in Cologne and the Rhein-Erft district will already take a look at November 9th, which marks a particularly important day of remembrance this year. On the occasion of the 87th anniversary of the November pogroms of 1938, numerous events are taking place to send a strong message against forgetting. These commemorative actions are not only intended to commemorate the crimes of National Socialism, but also to call for responsibility for peaceful coexistence, as kirche-koeln.de reports.

The planned events are diverse and invite citizens to actively participate. It starts on November 6th at 6:00 p.m. with a silent walk to the Jewish Museum in Cologne. This ecumenical silence is particularly characterized by silence, without speeches or banners, and offers a space for reflection.

Diverse programs to commemorate

On November 7th at 7:30 p.m. the “Menorah” memorial hour will take place in the Paul Gerhardt Church, which will feature klezmer music and literary texts. On November 8th at 7:30 p.m., the Christ Church Dellbrück will be the venue for a benefit concert with works by Brahms, Schubert, Schumann and Bruch.

However, the main focus is on the memorial day itself, November 9th, when several events take place at the same time. A matinee in honor of Margot Friedländer will open at 11:00 a.m. in the Johanneskirche, followed by an organ concert in the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Church at 5:00 p.m. In addition to these musical contributions, there will be a service with the Bach cantata BWV 164 in the Antoniterkirche at 6 p.m.

Another highlight is the ecumenical memorial event in the Church of St. Dionysius at 7:00 p.m., which promotes the common act of remembrance between Protestant and Catholic communities.

Special times for reflection

Not to be forgotten are the local initiatives in Erftstadt and Wesseling, which also organize their own memorial campaigns. In Erftstadt there will be a walk of silence at the Old Jewish Cemetery on November 9th at 6 p.m., while in Wesseling a walk of remembrance will lead to the Jewish memorial.

These events clearly show how important it is to remember the dark chapters of history and to promote the values ​​of togetherness and respect for all people.

At a time when digital technologies and platforms such as ChatGPT, which is continuously growing and has more than 700 million active users, are also finding a place in society, the memory of past systems of injustice remains of central importance for the present and future. The interactive use of such church and memorial events could not only take a stand against forgetting, but also reach a wider audience through digital channels.

For further information and details about the events you can visit the website of kirche-koeln.de.