Barber 1 Krystal Barber Mr.

Neuburger Eng Comp 101-132 27 November 2012 Research Paper Kristallnacht Introduction On November 9, 1938, would signal a major change in the lives of so many Jews that lived in Germany or one of the surrounding countries. This night became forever known as Kristallnacht. In German, Kristall translate to crystal and nacht becomes night. In English, it means The night of the broken glass. The Nazis wanted full control of every Jew worldwide. A murder of a Nazi Officer started the next 48 hours of Hell for all Jewish people. Hitler takes Leadership As soon as Hitler took the reins, he started making laws against Germans Jews. According to the Jewish Virtual Library (JVL), in 1933, Hitler had a one-day boycott against all Jewish shops and all Jewish children started having lots of trouble in the public school system. A few years later, the whole country of Germany made it against the law for Jews to participate in elections and there were a lot signs around their towns say, Jews not welcome (Kristallnacht). All of this hatred started to upset many Jews around the world. The JVL reports that in July 1938 a law was passed require every
Jews not welcome sign
Source: http://bit.ly/ZN35SQ

Jew in Germany must carry an identification card. In October, Jews

Barber 2 relocated to the borders of Poland. It goes on saying that the Polish government refused to let these Jews back in their country. So they were sent to relocation camps on the Polish Frontier (Kristallnacht). The Murder There was on family that lost their business and all of their personal belonging when they were deported. This family was arrested by the German police and moved to the Poland border. Why does this family play a huge part in the beginning of Kristallnacht? The family was the Grynszpans. The father, Zindel, moved his family to Hanover in 1911 and opened a small retail shop. He wanted to have a better life for his family. When Zindels seventeen-year-old son, Herschel, heard about what the Nazis did to his family he was very upset. Heschel Grynszpan lived in Paris with an uncle. He could not believe the way the Nazis were treating all of the Jews and his family. An article from The Cutting Edge News describes a turn of events for Herschel Grynszpan. They tell a story about how Grynszpan went to the German Embassy to seek revenge. Grynszpan wanted to give an important document to the ambassador. It also states, the ambassador was not there, so Grynszpan was escorted to Ernst von Roth. Ernst von Roth was the third Secretary. The article reveals that Grynszpan shot von Roth five times at close range and

wounded him. Ernst von Roth died two day later on November 9, 1938 (Kristallnacht paved the way to the Holocaust). Since Grynzpan took matters in his own hands, this killing provided Joseph Goebbels, Chief of Propaganda for Hitler, an excuse to draw up a plan to against the
Picture of Herschel Grynszpan Source: http://bit.ly/Zx8tdP

Barber 3 Jews. The pogrom became known as Kristallnacht. The message it states from the JVL, this assinassation was an attack by International Jewry (The Holocaust: Kristallnacht). Joseph Goebbels The History Learning site states that Joseph Goebbels was born in 1897. His birthplace was Rhineland. In 1920, he received his doctorate of philosophy by Heidelberg University. It states that Goebbels was disabled and could not join the German army during World War I. He was born with clubbed footed and could not walk very well. In 1924, Goebbels joined the Nazi party. Hitler assigned him a position to
Joseph Goebbels in action! Source: the Nazi party help build uphttp://bit.ly/UHAhqfsupport in Berlin, Germany. Furthermore, Hitler assigned him the

Chief of Propaganda position in 1933. (Joseph Goebbels). Orders to Gestapo Offices When Goebbles created the pogrom, his most important goal was to destroy any and every Jewish person, place, or thing like synagogues, businesses, cemeteries, and schools. These orders according to the Orders to the Gestapo regarding Kristallnacht were transmitted out on November 9, 1938 at 11:55 pm. These orders reveal all the actions against the Jews are as followed: Actions against Jews, especially against their synagogues, will take place throughout the Reich shortly. They are not to be interfered with; however, liaison is to be effected with the Ordnungspolizei to endure that looing and other significant excesses are suppressed. As far as important archive, material exists in synagogues this is to be secured by immediate measures. Preparations are to be made for the arrest of about 20,000 to 30,000 Jews in the Reich. Above all well-to-do Jews are to be selected. Detailed instructions will follow in the course of this night.

Barber 4 Should Jews in possession of weapons be encountered in the course of the action, the sharpest measures are to be taken. Verfugungstruppen der SS as well as general SS can be enlisted for all actions. Control of the actions is to be secured in every case through the Gestapo. Looting, larceny etc. is to be prevented in all cases. For securing material, contact is to be established immediately with the responsible SDleadership. Addendum for Stopo Cologne: In the Cologne synagogue there is especially important material. This is to be secured by the quickest measures in conjunction with SD. (The History Place) The Night of the Broken Glass The History Place describes how the Nazi Storm troopers, members of the SS, and Hitler youth would start the riots. They would beat and murder any Jew that got in their way. The groups would break in and destroyed Jewish homes and businesses. Breaking windows, taking merchandise, and stealing personal belongings were just a few horrible things they were doing. The Jewish women and children were also brutalized during the evening. All of this

terrorism went on all over Germany, Austria, and every

Burning synagogue in Frankfurt Source: http://bit.ly/UHAhqf

Nazi controlled territory. The story adds that all of the Jewish synagogues were burnt to the ground. The fire

departments were ordered to stand by unless the fire was going to spread to a non-Jewish building, then the firefighters could put out the fire (Kristallnacht). According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, The police officers and firefighters did nothing to prevent all of the destructions to the towns and villages. These orders were directly from the Nazi Party. It also states the Jews were to blame for causing these riots (Kristallnacht). Mass amounts of

Barber 5 Jews were rounded up and sent to concentration camps. The Zonism and Isreal Encyclopedic Dictionary Kristallnacht suggests the riots started at different times throughout the next 48 hours so they would appear to be more natural. The article goes on to claim the main purpose for the riots were to confiscate all Jewish property,
Rounding up the Jews Source: http://bit.ly/TKgfwl and then make the Jews pay 1 billion Reinchsmarks to cover the cost of the damages. (Zionish-

Isreal). The Aftermath Days following the riots of Kristallnacht, 120,000 German Jews and 140,000 Austria Jews managed to emigrate to other countries. According to Kristallnacht paved the way to the Holocaust, tens of thousands of Jews were not able to move out of the Nazi controlled areas because other countries no longer would issue visas for them. Therefore, these Jews had to deal with the Nazis and all the new laws. The Jews were stripped of all their civil rights. They could not continue their occupations, own property, use public transportation, and eventually they were all confined to a small section of the city where it was just Jews and Nazi police (The Cutting Edge). Kristallnacht was the start of the Holocaust. Paving a way for the Nazi to exterminate every living, breathing Jew they could.

Barber 6 Works Cited "The History Place - World War II in Europe Timeline: November 9/10 1938 - Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass." The History Place - World War II in Europe Timeline: November 9/10 1938 - Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. Isseroff, Ami. "Kristallnacht." The Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Zionism and Isreal. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. "Joseph Goebbels." History Learning Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. Kirshner, Sheldon. "Kristallnacht Paved the Way to the Holocaust." The Cutting Edge. N.p., 22 Dec. 2008. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. "Kristallnacht." Jewish Virtual Libriary. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. "Kristallnacht." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012