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The consequences to Jews were severe. At least a thousand were killed. Thousands more had their propertylooted or destroyed. Another 30,000 weredeported toconcentration camps after the pogrom. Fire departments and police stood by and watched.[4][5]
The word "Kristallnacht" means "Night of Crystal" or "Night of BrokenGlass" in English.[2][3] Not everybody agrees on this name. It has been called aeuphemism because it does not mention violence, only property damage (particularly broken windows andcrystalchandeliers). Additionally, -nacht ("night") suggests that the pogrom lasted just a single night, not two days.[4][6]
On November 7, 1938, Ernst Eduard vom Rath, adiplomat at theGermanEmbassy inParis, was shot by a 17-year-oldPolish Jew named Herschel Grynszpan.[7][8] Two days later, vom Rath died from his injuries, and Kristallnacht began.[2]
On October 26, 1938, theGestapo was ordered to arrest anddeport all Polish Jews living in Germany.[9] This included Grynszpan's family, which had been living in Germany since the early 1920s.[8] With at least 12,000 others,[9] the family was deported to Poland after having all of their property seized.[8] From there, they sent apostcard to Herschel (who was living in Paris), explaining what had happened and asking for help.[2][3]
After shooting vom Rath, Herschel explained that he hoped to draw the world's attention to the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany.[10] When French police arrested him after the shooting, he said:[10]
Being a Jew is not a crime. I am not a dog. I have a right to live and the Jewish people have a right to exist on earth. Wherever I have been I have been chased like an animal.
When he was arrested, Herschel was carrying a postcard he had written to his parents, further explaining his motivations:[8]
WithGod's help. My dear parents, I could not do otherwise, may Godforgive me, the heart bleeds when I hear of your tragedy and that of the 12,000 Jews. I must protest so that the whole world hears my protest, and that I will do. Forgive me. Hermann [his German name].
Kristallnacht began with massiveproperty damage. Together the SA, the Hitler Youth, and German citizens targeted Jewish property all across Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland. Specifically, they:[13][14][15][2]
Destroyed and looted Jewish homes,hospitals, schools, and about 7500 businesses
At least 1,000 Jews were killed during the night of Kristallnacht (though SS officers claimed that only 91 had died).[16] Many others were beaten orassaulted.[2]
Police reports of suicides and rapes increased after Kristallnacht.[13] A 2012 study reported that just in Austria, 680 Jews died bysuicide on Kristallnacht.[17]
More than 30,000 Jewish men were arrested during Kristallnacht and imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps (primarilyDachau,Buchenwald, andSachsenhausen).[18][19] Many died there.[15][2][3]
The Nazi regime used Kristallnacht as an excuse to worsen theirpersecution of the Jews.[10] By the time World War II started months later, more than 200,000 hademigrated to escape this persecution.[2][3][4]
The Nazis decided that the Jews should beliable for all of the property damage committed during Kristallnacht.[10] They punished Jews with a collective fine of 1 billionReichsmarks (equal to about $400,000,000 inUnited States dollars at the time).[4][20]
When Jews who had lost property receivedinsurance payments, the Nazis seized them.[18] If they had more than 5,000 Reichsmarks in assets, Jews were forced to give 20% of them to the state.[4]
Many Jews had their properties forcibly taken, or had to sell and abandon their homes, stores, and businesses.
↑Sonneck, Gernot; Hirnsperger, Hans; Mundschütz, Reinhard (2012). "Suizid und Suizidprävention 1938-1945 in Wien [Suicide and suicide prevention in Vienna from 1938 to 1945]".Neuropsychiatrie (In German).26 (3):111–120.doi:10.1007/s40211-012-0032-8.PMID23055305.The suicide problem was very prevalent - alone on the "Reichskristallnacht" - 9/10. November 1938 - 680 Jews in Austria died by suicide.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
