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Seventy-nine years ago, on November 9-10, 1938, the Nazis staged vicious state sanctioned, anti-Jewish riots against the Jewish community of Germany. These came to be known as Kristallnacht (now commonly translated as "Night of Broken Glass"), a reference to the untold numbers of broken windows of synagogues, Jewish-owned stores, community centers, and homes plundered and destroyed during these riots. Encouraged by the Nazi regime, the rioters burned or destroyed 267 synagogues, vandalized or looted 7,500 Jewish businesses, and killed at least 91 Jewish people. They also damaged many Jewish cemeteries, hospitals, schools, and homes as police and fire brigades stood aside. Kristallnacht was a turning point in history. Kristallnacht marked an intensification of Nazi anti-Jewish policy that would culminate in the Holocaust - the systematic, state-sponsored murder of Jews.
Educators wishing to commemorate the event, hold remembrance activities, or locate instructional materials, will find many excellent resources on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum web page at:
USHMM Kristallnacht Page
Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation Page |
