May 8th 2025 marks 80 years since the German occupants capitulated and Norway was liberated. This day marks the end of a gruesome history that affected the Jewish community especially hard. We are participating in two events on this day: a memorial ceremony at the Jewish cemetery at 1 pm, and a lecture and panel discussion at Litteraturhuset at 6 pm.

The memorial ceremony will be open for everyone who wishes to attend.

The event at Litteraturhuset costs 75 NOK per person. Tickets kan be ordered here: https://litteraturhusetitrondh...

The event will be in Norwegian.

The Jewish Community in Trondheim, the Jewish Museum Trondheim and the Jewish Cultural Festival in Trondheim would like to wish everyone welcome to attend a memorial ceremony at the Jewish cemetery in Lademoen at 1 pm on the 8th of May.

Speeches will be held by:

Kent Ranum, Mayor of Trondheim

Hanna Geiran, National Director of Cultural Heritage in Norway

Kadish (prayer for the deceased) by Ralph Buchmann, former religious leader of the Jewish Community in Trondheim.

(The lectures and discussion will be in Norwegian).

The United States has a president who despises democratic rules. In Europe, far-right parties that openly flirt with fascism and hatred of minorities are gaining support from large groups of voters. We are forced to ask the unthinkable question: Could it happen again? Could fascism once again become an existential threat to our democracy and minorities? How do we combat the authoritarian forces that are emerging - before it is too late?

The Jewish community in Trondheim, the Jewish Museum Trondheim, in collaboration with Litteraturhuset in Trondheim, invite you to a lecture and debate on the day of liberation on May 8.

On the program:

18:00: The fight against fascism - then and today.

Lecture by Jonas Bals, historian and author of the books “Our Fights” and “The Fight Continues”. He will talk about the fight against fascism and lessons that are relevant today. The lecture is based on the history of the Jewish family Claes, who lived in Bal's own neighborhood.

18:30: Hidden Jewish Lives.

Lecture and conversation with Joanna Rubin Dranger, winner of the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2023. She will talk about her latest book, “Hidden Jewish Lives.”

19:00 – 20:30: Panel discussion: Can it happen again?

How could fascism and Nazism gain such strong support in the last century? What danger signs do we see in our own time. How should we work to ensure that it never happens again?

In the panel:

Jon Reitan, historian at NTNU

Ingjerd Veiden Brakstad, historian at the Falstad Center.

Jonas Bals, historian and author.

Joanna Rubin Dranger, author.

The conversation will be led by Jo Røed Skårderud, journalist at Klassekampen and program coordinator at the Literature House in Trondheim.

Read more about the event and find tickets here: https://litteraturhusetitrondh...