Some days are packed with history and this is one of them. November 9 has been a turning point at several times during the 20th century. Some of the best and some the worst events of the century happend on this day.
Especially as a German I find it necessary to share my thoughts about it with you.
November 9, 1918: The German revolution:
This day marks the end of the first German empire and the end of the first world war. Today, 86 years ago, Reichkanzler Max von Baden handed over the executive power to the head of the German social democrats, Friedrich Ebert who then became the first President of a free and democratic Germany.
The republic of Weimar, as it is known lasted for 15 years and is probably the most interesting phase. Absolutely modern in science and culture, politcally and economically deterioting to the point when the National Socialists could take over state and society.
Yet again, when Philipp Scheidemann declared the German republic in front of the Reichstag building in Berlin, the defeat was not inevitable.
November 9, 1923: Hitler's coup attempt
Ten years before President von Hindenburg offered Hitler the chancellorship, Hiter tried to gain power by staging a coup in Munich. He arrested the Bavarian political leadership and asked them to join him in a "march on Berlin". They promised to do so and the Nazis let them go. When they were trying to start their march, they were surprised by the Bavarian police not joining but arresting them. Hitler was convicted to 5 years in prison, but served only 6 months. During this time, he wrote "Mein Kampf".
The NSDAP seemed to be beaten for good and no one believed in a possible revival. Yet they staged a political come-back in the late 20's after the beginning of the Great Depression.
The man with the flag is Heinrich Himmler, later the chief organizer of the Holocaust.
November 9, 1938: "Reichskristallnacht"
On Nov. 9, 1938, a young jew killed the German diplomat von Rath in Paris. This pulled the trigger for a long planned move against the jews in Germany. SA forces arrested 40.000 jews in Germany and sent them to concentration camps. All accross Germany, shops were looted and synagogues were set on fire.
This day marks a turning point as from now on it was obvious for everyone were the regime was heading. No "I didn't know anything" is possible in the light of these events.
For those directly affected it was also a lesson about their personal environment: Neighbours looted the flats of their jewish neighbours, help was spare.
It was then, that the jews in Germany finally understood that life under the Nazis wouldn't be possible. Unfortunately, emigration was a problem as most other countries were not accepting them. They were trapped.
November 9, 1989: The fall of the Berlin wall
The fall of the Berlin wall ended the the cold war symbolically and is one of the happiest events in the 20th century as it took away the constant fear of nuclear war and opened the opportunity of freedom for millions.
I have been to East Germany before 1989 and is hard to describe how this dictatorship felt from the inside. The images of the people of East Germany flooding through the open boarder and coming into West-Berlin are still amazing for me and even now, 15 years later, I am crying when I see the repeated on television.
Today, Eastern Europe has joined the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany is a successful and democratic state in the heart of Europe and for the first time no threat to any of her neighbours. And this means a lot for me
Sometimes, it is hard to imagine were history will turn next. As I think of the highs and lows of the last 100 years, I wonder where our generation is heading. We haven't seen anything, yet.