Mayor Lauer spoke of the permanent warning of which the German capitulation should remind us, so that the misery and death of countles people during the reign of terror of the Nazis will not have been completely in vain.

Andreas Starke, the leader of the Social-Democratic fraction in the City Council reminded those present that even after 1945 countless more people suffered through expulsion and injustice due to the Nazi actions. He called the 8 May 1945 “the day of liberation and the day of remembrance”.

Actor Andreas Ulrich read appropriate poems and the Brass musicians from the E.T.A. Hoffmann Gymnasium provided a dignifed musical frame.(See Rathaus- journal Nr.11, 2002). A FT reporter failed to turn up.

The Mayor spoke emphatically against any attempts to draw a line under the past, let alone to deny it.
Mr. Olmer criticised the lack of solidarity with German citizens of the Jewish religion in the Möllemann affair and the silence of intellectuals.

As for the Community centre, Mr. Olmer looked forward to it becoming a meeting place for all religions, cultures and nationalities.
At the end of the meeting, Cantor Rudolf,accompanied by the newly-formed Synagogue Choir, recited the El Mole Rachamim, (a prayer for Gods mercy) and the Kaddish.

The working group Jews on the Aisch, Aurach, Ebrach and Seebach, the village of Adelsdorf, together with both churches held a Memorial hour on 9 November at the memorial stone in the centre of the village, at the spot where the synagogue once stood. Mr. Fleischmann reported that “it was a good and impressive hour”.

On the afternoon of 10 November, Mr. Fleischmann invited about 30 people to come to the Zeckern cemetery for a remembrance meeting for the victims of the Shoah from the area.

After the meeting, Mr. Fleischmann conducted a tour of the Zeckern cemetery, the oldest in Franconia, although there does not appear to have been a Jewish community there.

A report of a short interview with Kießling appeared in the Nordbayerische Nachrichten on 8 November. A further article appeared on 22 November, “Eine Pflicht zum Wachhalten der Erinnerungen”, which discussed Kießling’s researches into Jewish history in Forchheim.

The annual meeting (it must have been the sixth or seventh) at this adult education centre under the motto Gefährliche Erinnerungen gegen das Vergessen (Dangerous Memories against Forget- ting) was held on 9 November. This ecumencial service followed the by now established pattern, except that there was no Jewish participation. Chriss Fiebig was not well enough to take part, and I attended the service in Bamberg at about the same time. There was no Kaddish prayer therefore, which I used to recite in Hebrew and Chriss repeated iin German. But a Menorah with all candles lit reminded those present of the common heritage of Christians and Jews, and wine and bread were blessed and passed round. Christian speakers referred to the dreadful cruelties in concentration camps and in Auschwitz. and other places like it. Those present responded with an anguished silence in the semidark church.

(See report in the Heirichsblatt, 24 November, “Stille im Halbdunkel ”).

As every year, Dr. Raja Nadler led a group to the Jewish cemetery and talked to them in the Synagogue afterwards

On the evening of 9 November 50 people, including the Mayor, assembled iin the restored synagogue (see under Around Bamberg column, Kronach) for a memorial meeting.

The Mayor, some local politicians and clergy addressed the meeting.

A memorial service was held in the Protestant church on 9 November. It was attended by people from Altenkunstadt and other places on the Obermain.