Handelsblatt27 minutes agoPolitics1 min readGermany

November 9th: Merz: “Freedom and democracy can never be taken for granted”

Federal Chancellor remembers Kristallnacht, the proclamation of the Republic and the fall of the Berlin Wall

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On the 37th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for the protection of freedom and democracy in Germany and Europe.
In an X-post he remembered November 9th as the date of Kristallnacht, the proclamation of the Republic in 1918 and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
In the afternoon he took part in a ceremony at the Ohel Jakob main synagogue in Munich.

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Why It Matters

November 9th is associated with several events in German history: Kristallnacht in 1938, the proclamation of the Republic in 1918 and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The article refers to the 37th anniversary of the fall of the Wall.

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Berlin. On the 37th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) called for the protection of freedom and democracy in Germany and Europe. In an

“November 9th stands for the darkest and the happiest hours of our history: for anti-Semitism and persecution, for the beginning of democracy and the fall of the wall,” said Merz. "Freedom and democracy can never be taken for granted. Let's protect them - in Germany and Europe."

In the afternoon, the Chancellor wants to take part in a ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the Ohel Jakob main synagogue in Munich, together with Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) and State Parliament President Ilse Aigner (CSU).

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Open Questions

What specific measures is the federal government planning to protect freedom and democracy?
What speeches will be given at the ceremony in Munich?