Storefronts of Jewish-owned businesses damaged during the ‘Reichspogromnacht’ in Berlin, Germany, November 1938. Photo: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Germany’s Jewish community on Friday marked the upcoming anniversary of the most infamous pogrom carried out by the Nazi authorities with a warning that Jewish life in the country was “still endangered.”

“Jewish life is still endangered and is not accepted by all people as a natural part of society,” Josef Schuster — president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany — declared. “In addition to growing right-wing extremism and the permanent threat of Islamists, the Corona crisis has also led to an increase in antisemitism.”

Schuster’s observation came in a statement to mark the 82nd anniversary on Monday of ‘Reichspogromnacht‘ — a night of arrests, mob violence and arson against Jews, their property and communal institutions that raged across Germany and Austria on the night of Nov. 9-10, 1938.

“Every generation must come to terms with this chapter of German history anew in order to learn from the past,” Schuster stated. “In view of the dwindling number of contemporary witnesses, the concentration camp memorial sites in particular need sufficient state support. After all, they leave a lasting impression on visitors, helping to promote tolerance and the protection of minorities.”