Kristallnacht ~ November 9, 1938

Kristallnacht, or the Night of the Broken Glass, was a massive anti-Jewish attack staged by the Nazis, that took place on November 9~10, 1938. Throughout Germany and Austria, synagogues were set afire and Jewish-owned shops were broken into and vandalized. The name, Kristallnacht, or Night of the Broken Glass, is a reference to the many broken windows of synagogues, Jewish-owned businesses and homes that were destroyed by the plundering by the Nazis. Jewish cemeteries, and schools were also destroyed, all under the watchful eye of police. In addition to the physical vandalism, at least 91 Jews were murdered in the streets during this violence.

Kristallnach was a turning point in world history. It solidified the Nazi anti-Jewish policy that would eventually lead to the Holocaust with the systemic, state-sponsored murder of millions of Jews.

The attack has been attributed to the retaliation following the assassination of a German official by 17-year old Herschel Grynszpan. Grynszpan, who was living in Paris, entered the German Embassy in Paris and shot and killed a German official. He was protesting the harsh treatment his family suffered under the Nazi regime in Germany. A few weeks earlier, over 15,000 Polish Jews living in Germany had been rounded up and transported back to Poland. Grynszpan’s family had been in this group.

SS leader Reinhard Heydrich reported that over 7500 businesses, mostly Jewish-owned, and 267 synagogues were burned, some totally destroyed. In addition, over 90 Jews were killed in the rioting. Hermann Goring issued an edict stating that the Jews would be billed for any and all damages caused by the riots. Any insurance claims were confiscated by the government.

Although Kristallnacht produced shockwaves throughout the rest of the world, nothing was done to halt the Nazis from their continued attacks on Jews. The United States reacted by recalling its German ambassador.