November 9, 1848
Robert Blum is executed in Vienna. One of the more prominent members of the Frankfurt National Assembly, he was in Vienna to observe how the Austrians dealt with the revolutionary forces. Not objective at all, he spoke to the revolutionaries and even took part in street fights. His diplomatic immunity was ignored. His death ultimately marked the end of the 1848 revolution.
November 9, 1918
The first day of the German republic. The Kaiser abdicates (not quite voluntarily) and flees the country, Friedrich Ebert becomes Reichkanzler. It's the culmination of the German revolution.
November 9, 1923
Hitler's march to the Feldherrnhalle. His coup fails, Hitler is sentenced to five years imprisonment.
November 9, 1938
November 9, 1989
Tragedy, terror, and glory. It's not just any day for Germans.
Posted by claudia at November 9, 2004 11:55 AMMy Opa and my Pop-pop were both arrested on Reichskristallnacht and interned in Dachau, sixty-six years ago.
Posted by: A New York City Math Teacher On The Cusp Of Matrimony at November 10, 2004 04:28 AMI do believe that's when my step-father's folks went, too.
Posted by: Bernard Guerrero at November 10, 2004 04:48 AMSigh.
I'm very sorry, guys. Those ghosts are sure to hunt us for a long time, yet.
I'm not ashamed to be German. But I'm amashed for this past.
Posted by: claudia at November 10, 2004 07:05 AMIt seems the past may still be present on the enlightened continent. This account from andrewsullivan.com:
This evening in Oslo there was a march commemorating Kristallnacht. According to TV2 News, no Norwegian Jews were present. The authorities, saying that they did not want any trouble, forbade any Jewish symbols, including Stars of David and Israeli flags. On the TV2 evening news, a group of Jews and their friends who wanted to take part in the commemoration were shown being firmly told by a policeman to "please leave the area." This in a city where Muslim demonstrations take place on a regular basis, and include signs and banners bearing hateful, barbaric slogans.
Makes me happy I'm in America, even with the impending dark ages.
Posted by: Kevin at November 10, 2004 07:20 AMI'd like to see a cite for that, other than Sullivan's letter. It seems not to have made the news but maybe I'm not looking in the right places.
Posted by: claudia at November 10, 2004 04:58 PMHi Claudia, good blog. I read the same post on Fistful the other day, and wrote a few comments on my own blog about it. I'd be interested in what you thought of it, if you wouldn't mind having a look. It's a little way down now, but the post is titled "importance of some dates". Thanks,
ken
Posted by: Ken at November 14, 2004 01:42 AM