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Halle synagogue attack 7th anniversary: Commemoration grows harder amid global antisemitism, far-right rise
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On October 9, 2026, the seventh anniversary of the far-right attack on the Halle synagogue is being marked with a poster campaign featuring quotes from survivors, speeches, and a minute of silence. The attack on Yom Kippur 2019 left two people dead and several injured after the gunman failed to breach the synagogue. Commemoration events began on October 8, a day early, due to the start of Shabbat. Rachel Spicker of the Soligruppe 9. Oktober support group said the annual remembrance has become harder over the years, citing Russia's war in Ukraine, the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre, and recent attacks on synagogues in Manchester and Toronto. She also noted the far-right AfD's strong showing in the recent Saxony-Anhalt state election, saying its ideology mirrors that of the attacker. Community leader Max Privorozki, who was inside the synagogue during the attack, will give a speech focusing on the victims, not the perpetrator. He called for no political debates on the memorial day, saying they would constitute an abuse of the victims. A public memorial event is planned on Halle's market square in the afternoon.
Source report
The synagogue in Halle an der Saale. Photo: Steffen Schellhorn/imago
By David Muschenich
"The past takes on a different meaning in the future," says Naomi Henkel-Guembel. On October 9, 2019, she was celebrating Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, at the synagogue in central Halle when an armed man attempted to storm the building and shoot the 52 people inside. He failed. Instead, he opened fire indiscriminately on passersby, killing Jana L. and Kevin S., and wounding others.
Seven years later, posters bearing quotes from survivors—including Henkel-Guembel's—are displayed across the city to commemorate the victims and the attack. Her quote continues: "What October 9 means is being decided now."
Early Commemoration Events
On Thursday evening, one day before the anniversary, people gathered for a rally in front of the Tekiez cultural and memorial space in Halle. Because Friday evening marks the beginning of Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, the Tekiez and the Soligruppe October 9 moved the commemoration forward, Rachel Spicker told taz. The social scientist supports survivors of the attack as a member of the solidarity group.
Seven years ago, the space now occupied by Tekiez was the KiezDöner kebab shop. After failing to enter the synagogue, the attacker killed Kevin S. there. In court, the then-27-year-old later revealed an antisemitic, racist, and misogynistic worldview.
Growing Challenges in Remembrance
Commemorating the attack has become more difficult over the years, Spicker reports. New burdens have accumulated steadily: Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, and repeated attacks on synagogues on Yom Kippur—in 2025 on a synagogue in Manchester, and this year on one in Toronto. In Germany, figures for racist and antisemitic violence have also risen.
In last month's state election in Saxony-Anhalt, the far-right AfD received more than 44 percent of the vote. "The ideologies this party represents are the same ones that motivated the attacker to carry out this act," says Spicker. This was already a topic seven years ago, but the AfD's influence was not as great then. Now, the party could govern in Saxony-Anhalt. "We are worried, but we keep going." Survivors and those directly affected refuse to be defeated, engaging nationwide in solidarity networks.
Thursday Evening Program
After the editorial deadline, the quotes from the poster campaign were to be read aloud in front of Tekiez on Thursday evening. Speeches by survivors, including İsmet Tekin—now project coordinator of the memorial site—were also planned. At the same time, a rally was held at Oranienplatz in Berlin, organized by the initiative Fight Antisemitism and Racism Together. Seven years ago on Yom Kippur, visitors from the capital were also present at the synagogue in Halle.
October 9: A Day of Silent Remembrance
On October 9 itself, a quiet commemoration will take place with the Jewish community. Max Privorozki, the community chair, will begin with a short address at 12:00 PM. He, too, was in the synagogue seven years ago.
In his speech, Privorozki says he will speak about the victims, not the perpetrator. "It's not about him," the community chair stated, adding, "at least not on this day." Privorozki did not know Jana L. or Kevin S., but "these people are still present to me."
At 12:03 PM—the time of the first fatal shots—a minute of silence will be observed. Streetcars and buses in Halle will stop at appropriate locations, and an announcement will explain the purpose of the commemoration to passengers. All church bells in the city will then ring. In the afternoon, a public memorial event will take place on Halle's market square.
A Call for Non-Political Remembrance
And then there is one more thing, "which we would like to achieve, but it is very difficult," says Privorozki. "That there be no political debate connected to this attack on the day of remembrance." The focus should remain on the victims, he repeats. "Political debates on this day are an abuse of the victims." He believes that even the political changes in Saxony-Anhalt—why the CDU is weak and the AfD is now strong—should play no role.
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