81 years ago, on the night of December 6 to 7, Giessen—the city where I now live again—was largely destroyed by a British air raid. Yesterday, a memorial service was held to remember the countless victims, commemorate the destruction, and call for peace.
The attack lasted just under half an hour, and the ensuing firestorm largely destroyed the densely populated city center. A few years ago, survivors of the night of the bombing were interviewed as part of a contemporary witness project. Some of these testimonies were played during yesterday evening’s memorial service. I recognized some of the voices. They were former members of the congregation from my time as pastor at the Stephanus Congregation in Giessen from 1987 to 1997.
The terrible night of bombing was the result of Nazi Germany’s wars of aggression in Europe and the terrible suffering that German fascism brought to the whole of Europe. This reminds us today to stand up consistently for democracy and against all forms of human hatred, racism, anti-Semitism, and discrimination, as well as against any new forms of nationalism and fascism. The citizens of Giessen did just that a week earlier when we peacefully demonstrated against the re-establishment of a youth organization of the right-wing AFD party.