© Arnaud Serexhe
Recent acts of vandalism against Holocaust memorials have sparked widespread condemnation, coinciding with an important anniversary in Luxembourg’s history of Jewish deportation during World War II.
On Wednesday morning, Marc Schoentgen, president of the Comité Auschwitz, alongside 11 civil society organisations in Luxembourg, condemned the recent events in Medernach, where a memorial for victims of the Holocaust was recently defaced, as an act of antisemitism.
This statement coincided with the anniversary of the first deportation of 323 Jewish citizens from Luxembourg, ordered by the Nazis in 1941. Schoentgen emphasised that "the crossing out of the term 'israélite'... is tied to the attempt to question or deny the memory of the Jewish genocide and the presence of Jewish life in Luxembourg."
Last year, RIAL, a non-profit organisation that focuses on research and information on antisemitism in Luxembourg, documented 144 hate crimes. This year, however, the number has already surpassed that, with 160 cases recorded at the same point in time. Reflecting on these figures, RIAL's president, Bernard Gottlieb, commented, "There are many things we choose not to document because it wouldn't make sense to report hundreds of cases. Even so, we've seen more cases than last year, which is a clear indicator."
The incidents vary in severity, from antisemitic remarks on social media to more serious occurrences, such as the recent incident in Medernach. Active and visible members of the Jewish community increasingly feel like they are being targeted. Gottlieb noted a concerning misunderstanding, stating, "Many people are failing to differentiate between a Luxembourgish Jew, a Zionist – whatever that means – and an Israelite."
Anniversary of the deportation of 323 Jewish citizens
Lódz, Poland's second-largest city, is known to many, but during World War II, it bore another name, linked to a grim chapter in history. Following the Nazi invasion in 1939, the city was annexed by Nazi Germany and renamed Litzmannstadt in April 1940. It became a ghetto where Jewish men, women, and children were forced into labour until complete exhaustion for the German occupiers; a reality that should not be forgotten, even here in Luxembourg.
On 16 October, 1941, the first Jews from Luxembourg, along with individuals from the Trier region, were deported to the Litzmannstadt Ghetto aboard a train called 'Da3'. The deportees were only allowed to bring a single suitcase and were forced to pay for their own one-way journey.
A total of 323 Jewish Luxembourgers were taken from Luxembourg City's train station, with just 11 surviving. Those unable to work, including children under 10 and the elderly, were sent to Kulmhof, the first Nazi extermination camp, about 50 kilometers away. Later, tens of thousands, were transported to Auschwitz in 1944, with 65,000 deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau in August alone.
Today, Lódz stands as a symbol of the mass murder of over 200,000 Jews, including more than 300 from Luxembourg. This year, Luxembourg commemorated this dark history with a ceremony at Luxembourg City's. Students from the high schools in Diekirch and Dudelange participated, honoring the memory of the 323 Jews deported 83 years ago by reading a letter addressed to the Jewish community at the time. This remembrance helps ensure that these tragic events are not lost to history.
"For the purpose of deportation, they and their family members, if any, must report to the relevant office of the Security Police at Luxembourg Central Station at 10am on 16 October 1941, and be ready to leave."
Watch the full report in Luxembourgish:
