Kristallnacht event remembering Gerda Katz in Münzenberg

Frankfut newspaper announcement: The Münzenberg town administration announces a memorial event on November 9th.

"I used to climb to the top of the tower and roll down steep hills. It drove my parents crazy." These are the memories of a young woman from Münzenberg of her idyllic childhood. What followed was horrific: Gerda Katz had to leave her home at just 13 years old, fleeing Nazi terror to the USA in 1938. Her life, a story of hope and loss, is the focus of the memorial service commemorating Kristallnacht, organized by the town of Münzenberg in conjunction with the Friends of Münzenberg Castle and Town Association. The event will take place on Sunday, November 9th, at 6:00 p.m. at the Old Synagogue Cultural Center, Junkernhof 14, in Münzenberg. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

introductory remarks by Mayor Dr. Isabell Tammer, Petra and Uwe Müller (Friends of Münzenberg Castle and Town Association) will explore the fate of Gerda Frumkin, née Katz. The presentation will be based on the book "Three Stars in the Night Sky: A Refugee Family's Separation and Reunion" by Fern Schumer Chapman, published in 2018. Musical accompaniment will be provided by Reiner Mohr and Angelika Herrmann.

Photo included in the book, Three Stars in the Night Sky, of young Gerda Katz

By focusing on the life of a resident of Münzenberg, the organizers aim to highlight how fragile social life was, even in a small town like Münzenberg, during the Nazi era. There is a real fear that this could happen again today. The Friends of Münzenberg Castle and Town Association and the town itself are committed to countering this threat. "We hope for the participation of as many Münzenberg residents as possible, so that together we can send a message in support of our free and democratic society, against hatred and incitement," explained Mayor Tammer and Uwe Müller, Chairman of the Friends of Münzenberg Castle and Town Association.