3sat Kulturzeit, 9.11.2023
On November 5, exactly 100 years ago, Berlin citizens marched through the streets of the Scheunenviertel and committed acts of violence against Jews. Until then, such events had only been seen in Eastern Europe. Most people thought it was impossible that something like this could happen in the middle of Germany. In Grenadierstrasse in particular, a mob was able to rage, injure and loot undisturbed for hours. German and international media reacted with shock. November 9, 1938 is commemorated every year. However, the attacks of 1923, which the police stood idly by for a long time, are largely forgotten. Today, it is difficult to imagine how dense Jewish life shaped the center of Berlin 100 years ago. Back then, Berlin was a place of hope and protection, especially for Jewish migrants from the East. The former diversity of theaters and stores, schools, clubs and synagogues in which life took place can only be discovered in fragments today. The horror of the Shoah, the murder of 6 million Jews, completely overshadowed the events of the 1920s. 3sat "Kulturzeit" goes in search of the Jewish and migrant history of Berlin's Scheunenviertel. At the same time, it explores the fears that are preoccupying today's Jewish residents of Berlin.