The Night of the Crystals it was a big pogrom organized by the Nazi government against Jews in Germany between November 9 and November 10, 1938. The word pogrom is used to refer to an organized violent attack against a particular group. The pogrom Crystal Night was held by the German government against the Jewish population that resided in the country.
This event is seen in a symbolic way by many historians, as it consolidated the turn of violence in Germany against the Jews and gave, in fact, an opening to the process of incarcerating Jews in concentration camps. Until then, actions against Jews were carried out in the political and legal fields (although violent attacks also took place). With the Crystal Night, the message given to the Jews was that violence against them would increase considerably.
The name “Christmas Night” given to this pogrom mentions the shards of glass that spread to large German cities, resulting from the destruction of shop windows that belonged to Jews.
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Why the pogrom against the Jews in 1938?
Hitler's plans for Germany's Jews were simple:Germany's leader had the ultimate goal of expelling all Jews from his country. Nazi ideology was extremely anti-Semitic, and this hatred had already been manifested in German society since the 19th century.
At that time, in 1938, the situation of Jews was extremely delicate in several ways, as they suffered more and more from the discrimination that existed in German society and many of their civil rights and liberties. Individuals were being withdrawn by the Nazis. The pogrom of 1938 inaugurated the phase of violence and imprisonment of the Jews.
The Crystal Night was organized by the Nazi Party as a response to the assassination of the German diplomat Ernst vom Rath . The diplomat resided in Paris and was the victim of an attack carried out by Herschel Grynszpan, 17 year old Jewish student. This student was Polish by birth, but grew up in Germany and was disgusted that his parents were expelled from the country.
On November 8, 1938, Grynszpan went to the German embassy in Paris with a revolver with the intention of assassinating the German ambassador to France. The Polish student, however, ended up victimizing the diplomat Ernst vom Rath. This episode was used by the Nazis to reinforce anti-Semitic propaganda in Germany.
Funeral of German diplomat Ernst vom Rath, victim of an attack carried out by a Polish student in Paris.*
Shortly after news of the bombing spread, attacks against Jews were spontaneously organized in Germany. What followed, however, was an action coordinated by the Nazi government that took place throughout German territory. Hitler and Goebbels , Nazi propaganda minister, met and decided to use the case to attack the Jewish community.
Hitler and Goebbels' orders to party members were direct and ordered attacks against Jews to be organized in the country. These attacks, however, were to be carried out in a manner that appeared not to involve the German government. The idea, therefore, was to make the attack against the Jews give the impression of spontaneous action by the population.
With this order passed, Nazi Party officials began contacting local party leaders and storm troopers, giving them instructions on how to proceed in the attack against Jews. The instructions included some orders:
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There should be no looting (looting);
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Foreign Jews should not be attacked under any circumstances;
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Jewish stores should not be burned down so as not to damage German property.
With the instructions given, the groups of Nazis, most linked to the storm troopers (SA), mobilized and started the attack against the Jews. Most of those who participated in the Crystal Night were out of uniform, since the attack was supposed to appear spontaneous, with no connection to the party.
How was the Kristallnacht held?
The Crystal Night had been, until that moment, the biggest attack organized by the Nazis against the Jews in Germany. Despite all the aggression already practiced, Germany had not yet witnessed an attack of that proportion against Jews throughout the country. Members of Nazism were encouraged by the high command to practice violence against Jews, and the German police were instructed not to prevent these attacks, in addition to having been instructed to arrest Jews.
Many of those who participated in the pogrom celebrated the 15th anniversary of Putsch of the Brewery, attempted coup carried out by the Nazis in Bavaria in 1923. The escalation of violence was unprecedented. The Nazis attacked synagogues, shops and Jewish homes across the country. In addition, thousands of people were attacked and many died as a result of the attacks.
Historian Richard J. Evans summarized the damage caused during the pogrom made in 1938|1| :
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520 synagogues destroyed. However, that amount was probably more than 1000.
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Between 7500 and 9000 Jewish stores were destroyed.
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Officially, 91 people died during the attacks, but the actual death toll may have been over 1000.
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30,000 people were arrested and sent to concentration camps.
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Material damage was calculated at 39 million reichsmarks .
After the height of the attacks, many Jews moved out of the places where they lived, fearful that new attacks would happen. Others stayed hidden in their homes, fearing they would be attacked if they appeared on the streets. The 30,000 Jews arrested were sent to three concentration camps:Dachau , Buchenwald , Sachsenhausen . The pogrom was terminated by an order issued by Goebbels on November 10, 1938.
|1| EVANS, Richard J. Third Reich in power. São Paulo:Planet, 2014, p. 656-657.
*Image Credits:Everett Historical and Shutterstock