77 years ago, November 9, 1938..."Kristallnacht came...and everything was changed" - Max Rein (1988)

[Behind the Aegis]

Kristallnacht, or The Night of Broken Glass, took place on November 9, 1938 and dragged into November 10th. The Nazi party, as well as everyday Germans, went on a spree of violence throughout Germany, Austria, East Prussia and the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia attacking and murdering Jews, burning down synagogues, and attacking and destroying Jewish owned businesses and homes. The event was retribution, along with the prevalent anti-Semitic attitudes, for the assassination of Ernst vom Rath by a Polish Jew, Herschel Grynszpan, in Paris, France. Over 1000 synagogues were damaged or destroyed. At least 91 Jews were killed in the two days, though the numbers are thought to be higher based on deaths because of mistreatment during the pogrom and various suicides because of Kristallnacht.


Hundreds of synagogues were attacked, vandalized and looted and dozens were set ablaze and destroyed. Firemen were instructed to let the synagogues burn but to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby structures. Additionally, shop windows in thousands of Jewish-owned stores were smashed and the wares within looted. Jewish cemeteries were also desecrated and many Jews were attacked by mobs of Storm Troopers (SA). At least 91 Jews died in the pogrom. source

This event was a precursor of things to come. After the event, several thousands of Jews were deported to various concentration camps and others "repatriated" to Poland. While the Germans added insult to injury by making the Jewish community pay for damages, the world condemned the events, a few countries even withdrew or ended diplomatic contact. However, little else was done. These events didn't occur in a vacuum, an onslaught of lies and continuous anti-Semitic propaganda made this event palatable, even acceptable, to the average German.


As the synagogue in Oberramstadt burns during Kristallnacht (the "Night of Broken Glass&quot , firefighters instead save a nearby house. Local residents watch as the synagogue is destroyed. Oberramstadt, Germany, November 9-10, 1938.
— US Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Trudy Isenberg


Shattered storefront of a Jewish-owned shop destroyed during Kristallnacht (the "Night of Broken Glass&quot . Berlin, Germany, November 10, 1938.
— National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Md.


Burning synagogue in Baden-Baden


Synagogue burning in Frankfurt


Interior of Essenweinstrasse Synagogue in Nuremburg following Kristallnacht.


Buchenwald Roll-Call for those arrested during Kristallnacht

[steve2470]

1. k&r nt

[Hekate]

2. KnR

[DFW]

3. I am so glad this era of history is taught extensively in German schools today

My daughters were born here in Germany, and went to school here for most of their lives. They are now bi-lingual, but still consider German to be their native language. They saw their German grandfather limp around on one leg because he was drafted at age 17, sent to Stalingrad, and came back to his farm at age 18, now useless as a farmer because one of his legs had been blown off. They also saw him make friends with my father, who was of Jewish background and was in the US Army in Europe during the war.

My daughters went to the Anne Frank Elementary School in our small town near Düsseldorf. Part of the curriculum was to learn about Anne Frank's life, and what happened to her, and who did it. During the war, the building used to be the regional Gestapo headquarters. The new purpose of the building, along with its new name, was an encouraging sign.

[irisblue]

4. .

[sheshe2]

5. I am so sorry.

KnR


So late, gotta go.

[LeftishBrit]

6. k&r

[azurnoir]

7. ...

[beam me up scottie]

8. Thank you for this. Never forget.

[Live and Learn]

9. Could happen anywhere and anytime that we allow it. Never forget! nt

[leftynyc]

10. K&R

[smirkymonkey]

11. K&R

[Sunlei]

12. Never forget, & Keep the pictures & 'government' documents & lists of names, Forever- to prove it.

[Behind the Aegis]

15. Documentation helps.

It will become even more important as the last of the survivors pass on.

[dembotoz]

13. k and r

[brer cat]

14. Those photos are horrifying.

K&R

[pampango]

16. Spreading hatred and fear continue to be a favorite tactic of right wing demagogues.

"THEY" are the cause of our problems.

[ryan_cats]

17. What

What changed? Was Hitler thrown out on his mustache?

No, the Third Reich even ensured that Jews whose property was destroyed were paid their insurance, which the Reich seized. Then, in a blinding display of victim shaming, Goering proposed that the Jews themselves were at fault for this and were charged an over 1bl. reichsmark fine.

Did people that previously supported Hitler's reforms, stop supporting him? Did the US ambassador in England disown Hitler and his regime?

People still thought Hitler was a righteous dude. That is, until he attacked the USSR and left the enlightened people crushed as everything was A-OK, until Hitler attacked uncle Joe.

Luckily for the world, FDR was not stupid and knew what Hitler, his regime and his legions of followers were about.

[Art_from_Ark]

24. I don't know how many people thought Hitler was a "righteous dude" when he invaded Poland

in 1939. Certainly, lots of people lost all respect for him when he invaded France, and launched a prolongued air assault against Britain in 1940. "Uncle Joe" wasn't invaded until June 1941.

[Solly Mack]

18. K&R

[TBF]

19. My FIL saved Nazi propaganda from his time

in WWII (towards end of war but he got a few good items). It will be donated to one of the Holocaust Museums - likely the one here in Houston since we live here now.

[Behind the Aegis]

20. That would so very interesting to see.

At the WWII museum in New Orleans, I saw the anti-Semitic propaganda from Japan! I was shocked because I had never seen anti-Semitism from WWII Japan. It was similar to German/European types, but it had a twist. It was very strange to see.

[TBF]

21. We've got it in storage - really should pull it out

and put it somewhere safer. He made sure to get it out of the house with other things before we had the estate sale (which was really just a rummage sale - this wasn't high end stuff). But his dad did save some cool historical things and we wanted to make sure they weren't lost.

[Behind the Aegis]

23. I am glad you dad did what he did.

So many historical things slipped through the cracks of time. I hope you are able to get them to a place where they can be viewed. If, by any chance, you get pictures of them, I'd love to see them!

[UTUSN]

22. "making the Jewish community pay for damages" - sound familiar? like make Mexicans pay for wall?!1