Aaron Fiala

Watts/2
English II Honors
October 27, 2016
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht or Night of the Broken Glass was a night full of terror and hatred for the
citizens of Germany, In which resulting in the deaths of almost 100 Jews and the destruction of
their property. The aftermath was devastating as streets were filled with rubble, ash, and
shattered glass that were dastardly reminders of what took place that night. Not only that but
after awhile the situation for the Jewish population became much worse. Kristallnacht was
symbolized by deception, hatred, and continued suffering.

The night expressed deceit in the events that led up to the night. It all started, when a
young Jewish immigrant named Herschel Grynszpan heard about the movement of Jewish
residents in Germany which included his parents. In retaliation to the movement, Herschel shot
the German diplomat Ernst von Rath which only helped fuel Hitlers anti-semitic plans.\. When
news of this arrives to Germany, Joseph Goebbels, the minister of propaganda, was able to
convince the people of the Nazi party to join in and support the pogroms of the Jewish people.
Joseph Goebbels was able to do this by saying that the Jews convened and orchestrated the
assassination of the diplomat to the Nazi partys Old Guard which ultimately convinced the
Old Guards. Goebbels then gathered troops and sent messages across Germany to encourage
violent retaliations that were staged as demonstrations that were blown out of proportions.
(History.com Staff)

Anger was represented during the Kristallnacht when almost 100 Jews were beaten and
killed. Many stores were destroyed, synagogues were burned, people were raped, and cemeteries
were desecrated. In total 267 synagogues were destroyed all over Germany, Austria, and the area
of Sudetenland. The public and firemen watched as multiple synagogues scorched into the night
while the citizens were only told to maintain the fire so it wouldnt spread to non-jewish homes
or stores. The same citizens that attacked the Jews were often neighbors. During and after the
Kristallnacht some 30,000 Jewish males aged 16 to 60 were incarcerated. With so many new
people the concentration camps Dachau, Buchenwald, and Sachsenhausen expanded in size.
(Berenbaum)
The continued suffering of the Jews was immediate and was expressed by the actions of
the government after Kristallnacht. Not only did the Jews take all of the hatred, but after the
Kristallnacht the German Jews were held responsible for the damage and were charged a
collective fine of one billion Reichsmarks for the damage. That same one billion Reichsmarks
was equivalent to $400 million in American dollars back in 1938. The streets of trashed
neighborhoods were filled with broken glass of vandalized building, giving the name Night of
the Broken Glass. This entire incident was covered up by German officials with a simple
explanation: This accident was a public outburst conducted with sentiment towards Ernst vom
Rath. (United States Memorial Museum)
Kristallnacht was a tragic accident that will remain and be remembered in history.
Though however horrendous Kristallnacht was, this event was just kindling for an even greater
and despicable tragedy known as the Holocaust. Compared to how many were killed in
Kristallnacht, the Holocaust is incomparable.

Works Cited
History.com Staff. Kristallnacht. History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009,
http://www.history.com/topics/kristallnacht.
Berenbaum, Michael. Kristallnacht. Encyclopedia Britannica Online, Encyclopedia Britannica,
www.britannica.com/event/Kristallnacht.
United States Memorial Museum. Kristallnacht. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum,
United States Holocaust Memorial Council, 2 July 2016,
www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005201.