On November 9th
– 1918 the Weimar Republic was proclaimed
– 1923, the attempted putsch by the Nazis under Hitler’s leadership in Munich failed.
– 1938, the Nazis destroyed countless Jewish stores and synagogues during the night of the November pogrom.
– In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, allowing citizens of the GDR to re-enter the Federal Republic of Germany.
November 9th is a fateful day for German democracy. It is a day of democratic liberation, a day of human abysses, the day of a failed coup attempt and the birthday of a new democracy. On no other day did a comparable number of events happen that had such a great impact on German and international history. This date is symbolic of the turbulent history of German democracy and exemplary of the difficulties of our culture of remembrance, which must recall both successes and failures. November 9th is a reminder that democracy cannot be taken for granted and that it is worthwhile to stand up and fight for it.
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