November
26
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The 75th Anniversary of Kristallnacht
Sometimes when we travel, we are confronted by people, scenes or facts which shock and shake us. And so we should be. Travelling is not just about the simple and happy pleasures of shopping the cobble-stone streets of Soho or eating delicious dumplings in Hong Kong. It’s about embracing a new destination in its entirety; its delights as well as its dark side.
One such destination is Germany, a gorgeous country with a rich and intellectual culture. Thriving with prestigious art, classical music and distinctive architecture, Germany is a destination with diverse appeal. It also houses a sensitive and controversial history.
This month marks the 75th anniversary of ‘Kristallnacht’, or ‘the night of broken glass’. A series of co-ordinated, anti-Jewish, violent acts which took place throughout Nazi Germany and some parts of Austria. On a riotous high, officials then pressed ahead with even more extreme measures, carving a destructive path which eventually lead to the horror of the Holocaust.
I recently visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, just one of many memorials to the Holocaust. Its contents are of course extremely challenging and awfully upsetting but they also inspire you – to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. I’m aware that what I was privy to at the museum only skims the surface of the prolific and prevalent cruelty of Nazi Germany. Please know I am in no way claiming to understand what it would have been like to be a victim, even a witness, during this time. What I am saying is that it’s a time in history which can’t be ignored and the least we can do is learn more about it and pay our respects to all those whom suffered.
A visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum defies words. And cannot be appropriately retold through photographs. Which is why this blog post is simply this; an acknowledgement A recognition of a transformative and catalytic event; a reminder of the evil humans are capable of; a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and if nothing else, a small gesture – to show I am cognisant of some of the atrocities which occurred this time 75 years ago.
Handful of hints 