Fast food company KFC has offered an apology after a notification was sent to some customers in Germany suggesting they commemorate Kristallnacht with cheesy chicken.
Kristallnacht, the term commonly used to refer to Nov. 9, 1938, was the night that violent anti-Jewish demonstrations broke out in Germany and Austria. Germans call the night “Kristallnacht,” translated to mean, “The Night of Broken Glass,” because of the glass from the thousands of windows that were shattered. The event is largely viewed as a turning point in the history of Nazi Germany away from rhetoric and legislation toward violent anti-Jewish measures, according to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Customers shared images of notifications they received from KFC on Nov. 9 in Germany, which translated read, “Commemorate the Reich Pogrom Night. Treat yourself to more tender cheese with crispy chicken, now at KFCheese!” Dalia Grinfeld, the associate director of European affairs at the Anti-Defamation League, shared the notification on Twitter and said, “How wrong can one actually be? Shame on you!”
Wie daneben kann man eigentlich sein an #Reichspogromnacht, @KFCDeutschland (@kfc )?! Schämt euch! https://t.co/nJvE15Nn0X
— Dalia Grinfeld (@DaliaGrinfeld) November 9, 2022
An hour after the initial message, a second message offered an apology, citing a “fault in the system” and “internal processes” which would be checked immediately, Germany’s Bild newspaper reported.
An annual remembrance of Kristallnacht is observed in Germany, with memorial events and discussions held to reflect the somber history, the BBC reported.
In a statement to the Jerusalem Post, KFC apologized for the error and said the company uses “a semi-automated content creation process linked to calendars that include national observances. In this instance, our internal review process was not properly followed, resulting in a non-approved notification being shared.” KFC further called the mistake “obviously wrong, insensitive and unacceptable” and said the company has “suspended app communications while we examine our current process to ensure such an issue does not occur again. We understand and respect the gravity and history of this day, and remain committed to equity, inclusion and belonging for all.”
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