Glass Star of David Memorial at the New Synagogue Aachen

The Kristallnacht in Aachen also left its mark here. There used to be a synagogue in the middle of the city of Aachen. In the so-called pogrom night of November 8th to 9th, 1938, also known as "Kristallnacht", this synagogue was destroyed and burned down. In front of the new synagogue, which was only completed in 1995, there is a predominantly greenish shimmering glass object on the square. The artist has layered a large number of large glass plates broken at the edges in such a way that they form the shape of a Star of David. The sculptor Heinz Tobolla, who has been working in Aachen since 1953, was born on September 19th, 1925 in Hindenburg, Upper Silesia and now belongs to Poland, and was commissioned by the Protestant and Catholic churches in Aachen to create a memorial for this memorial square. A memorial stone points to this and warns against all hatred and hostility.
Star of David made of glass commemorates Kristallnacht in Aachen
On November 8, 1984, the Star of David created by Heinz Toballa was ceremoniously unveiled. You can't really see yourself reflected in the glass. It seems alive and changes its appearance with changing light. The broken edges can stand for many things in life. This art object has such a strong meaning as a memorial that nothing more could be added here. But the artist Heinz Tobolla has milled a text around the glass. It reads: "And the Lord said, It is not enough that you are my servant, O Israel, only to restore the tribes of Jacob. I will make you a light to the nations, so that my salvation will reach to the ends of the earth. Isaiah 49:6".
Source: denkmalplatz.de/kristallnacht-in-aachen-2

In front of the new synagogue is a monument depicting the history of Israel as the Star of David. The old synagogue was consecrated here on September 19, 1862, but it was desecrated and destroyed by the National Socialists on November 8, 1938.

The Jewish communities in Europe, whose centuries-old tradition is often only documented by commemorative plaques or monuments, were honored - especially in these difficult times with a rapidly growing, openly expressed anti-Semitism - by awarding the "International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen" to the President of the Conference of European Rabbis, Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, and the Jewish communities in Europe.
"In recognition of his outstanding work for peace, the self-determination of peoples and European values, for tolerance, pluralism and understanding, and in recognition of his significant commitment to interreligious and intercultural dialogue, the Board of Directors of the Society for the Award of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen in 2024 honors the President of the Conference of European Rabbis, Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, and together with him the Jewish communities in Europe. With this award, the Charlemagne Prize Board wants to send a signal that Jewish life is a natural part of Europe and that there must be no place for anti-Semitism in Europe. Jewish life is an important part of European history and the present - now and in the future. (...) Together with the President of the Conference of European Rabbis, Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, and the Jewish communities in Europe, the Board of Directors of the Society for the Award of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen in 2024 is honoring the outstanding representative of European Jewry and Jewish life in Europe, which has enriched our continent for centuries and will and must always have its place here."