Kristallnacht is seen as a harbinger of the mass murder of Jews during World War II. An estimated 7,500 shops and businesses, 1,400 synagogues and other buildings such as homes, schools and hospitals suffered that night. Many Jews were injured or killed. This night is widely regarded as the start of Hitler’s campaign for the mass extermination of Jews.
Despite the great sensitivity surrounding this historic event, the fast food chain sent a message via the app: ‘Today we commemorate the Kristallnacht. Treat yourself to soft cheese on your crispy chicken. Now to KFCheese! ‘ KFC was directly targeted by social media. About an hour later, the chain has already apologized. The error was attributed to “a defect in the system”. “We are very sorry, we will immediately check our internal processes so that this does not happen again. We apologize for this mistake. “
In a further explanation a News week blamed KFC Germany on the app. According to the fast food chain, the automated push notification was linked to national holidays and commemorations. Messaging on the app has been suspended until further notice. “It was an unplanned, insensitive and unacceptable message,” acknowledged a KFC spokesperson. “We understand and respect the gravity and history of this day and remain committed to equality, inclusion and belonging for all.”
Germany takes the Kristallnacht commemoration very seriously, with numerous commemorative events and meetings to discuss the dramatic events. Daniel Sugarman, director of a British organization for Jews, reacts baffled and calls KFC’s message “absolutely scary”. Dalia Grinfeld, Deputy Director of European Affairs at the Jewish Anti-Defamation League, does not believe in a systemic flaw. ‘How wrong can you be when you talk about Kristallnacht? Shame on you!”
