This week of November 8–13, 2026, encompasses the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht (which took place on November 9–10, 1938) and is widely marked by commemorations and educational observances in the Shoah museum of Porto.
Kristallnacht is integrated into curricula like História A (12th year), História B (11th year). Studying it shows secondary students how unchecked institutionalized prejudice can rapidly escalate into physical terror.
The 1938 pogrom unfolded in public view across Germany and annexed territories. Examining it forces students to confront the complicity, indifference, or fear of ordinary citizens who witnessed the violence without acting. It teaches young people in Portugal that public institutions and human rights are not self-sustaining and require active defense against extremism and intolerance.
Portugal is a full member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and applies the official Recommendations for Teaching and Learning about the Holocaust translated by the Directorate-General of Education (Direção-Geral da Educação – DGE).
The defense of Jewish human rights has been a mission accomplished by the Jewish community in Porto. In October 2020, the institution decided to build the museum (opened in two months) and inaugurated a B'nai B'rith in partnership with the Israeli embassy in Portugal. This work was later complemented with a publishing house and the institution's official newspaper, The Portuguese Jewish News.
The Holocaust museum in Porto allows Portuguese students to anchor a global tragedy in national solidarity networks and human rights history.
