On
October 28, 1938, 17,000 Jews of Polish citizenship, many of whom had
been living in Germany for decades, were arrested and interned in
"relocation camps." When 17-year-old Herschel Grynszpan, then a student
in Paris, distraught on receiving the news of his family's expulsion, he went to the German
embassy and shot Third Secretary Ernst vom Rath, a member of the Nazi party. who died two days
later. When arrested by the French police, Grynszpan, hoping his actions
would alert the world to the plight of the Jews in Europe, said, "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."
The assassination provided Adolf Hitler with the excuse he needed to
launch a pogrom against German Jews. It would become known as Kristallnacht,
"the night of broken glass."referring to the broken glass produced by the smashing of shop windows .The following day Hitlers propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels orchestrated the violence across Germany..Goebbels wrote in his diary: "As was to be expected, the entire nation is in uproar. This is one dead man who is costing the Jews dear. Our darling Jews will think twice in future before simply gunning down German diplomats."
German Jews had been subjected to repressive policies since 1933, when Nazi leader Hitler became chancellor of Germany.
However, prior to Kristallnacht, these Nazi policies had been primarily
nonviolent. Kristallnacht, marked the beginning of violent evil
oppression.
On the night of November 9, 1938, rampaging
mobs spurred on by Nazi officials attacked Jews and Jewish communities of Germany, Austria and the Sudetenland region of Czechoskovakia in the street, in their homes, and at their places
of work and worship. Nazi paramilitary troops, the Sturmabteilung (SA) allowed the destruction and
arrested as many Jews as the jails could hold. Broken glass littered the
streets in front of burning synagogues.Firefighters were ordered not to intervene.
Over the coming weeks hundreds of Jews were dead, more than 900 synagogues were burned, nearly 7,000
Jewish businesses were destroyed, and schools were
vandalized and 30,000 Jewish people were arrested. with many taken to Nazi .death camps such as Dachau or Buchenwald..Even the deceased did not escape the pogrom. Many Jewish cemeteries were desecrated.
Three days later, on November 12, the top Nazi leadership met to enact a
wide-ranging set of anti-Semitic laws that segregated Jews into
ghettos, placed a curfew on their activities, banned their ownership of
guns, suspended their driver's licenses, and confiscated their radios.
In addition, the Nazis fined German Jews one billion marks for vom
Rath's assassination and for "broken windows." At the end of the
meeting, Hermann Göring announced, "I have received a letter written on
the Führer's orders requesting that the Jewish question be now, once and
for all, coordinated and solved one way or another."
The Nazis’ hatred was well known, but by 1938 they had not come up with
the Final Solution — the systematic attempt to murder all the Jews of
Europe. There is well-documented evidence that the Nazis tested the
waters with the progressive implementation of increased anti-Semitic
propaganda and hate.
In April 1933, the Nazis organised a boycott pf Jewish owned businesses. Jews were excluded from civil service jobs, and in October of that year, non-Aryans were banned from working in Journalism.
This was codified in the racist 1935 Nuremburg Laws, and actions behind them like Kristallnacht. They watched the world’s tepid response and concluded that they could deal with the Jews as they wished.
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
So continue to remember, defend, speak out and remain vigilant against anti-semitism smd, fascism; .
There were muted protests and news reports of the violence. Yet the
world was largely silent to the plight of German Jews and did little to help.
On November 15th, President Roosevelt said. "The news of the past few days from Germany has deeply shocked public opinion in the United States.... I myself could scarcely believe that such things could occur in a 20th-century civilization."
But when asked if he would recommend relaxing the country;s strict immigration laws to allow more Jewish refugees into the United States ne replied." That is not in contemplation, we have the quota system."
This passivity emboldened
the Nazis to continue their plotting against European Jewry, seeing how
easy it was to persecute Jews with no substantive outcry. Kristallnacht became
a turning point in German policy, setting into motion the Nazis'
systematic extermination of Jews, the Romani people, Communists,,
Christians, homosexuals, the mentally ill, and other Nazi enemies:all targeted for destruction and decimation, based on the fascists twisted 'Aryan' concept of a master race that led to what became known as the
Holocaust.
We must never forget these shameful moments in history, that were such a slap on the face of humanity and must accept the fact that history can be repeated.Human beings are capable of doing such wicked things, so that is why
we should continue to confront the dangers of intolerance, hate, racism, anti-semitism, prejudice and fascism, and defeat the ideas that continue to create so much pain .
We must never forget the journeys of
all persecuted. support those that face hostility today, and when we say never again, we must mean never again. Lets not fail to notice there are disturbing parallels between events that occurred during the holocaust and events that are happening today.
The Holocaust did not start with camps, ghettos and deportations. it started with words of hate.
Governed by a government with an increasing disturbingly authoritarian mindset. Lets not allow divisive language, prejudice. bigotry and hostility be allowed to roam unchallenged.
Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) was a prominent Protestant pastor who
emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last
seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps, despite his ardent
nationalism. Niemöller is perhaps best remembered for the following quotation:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
So continue to remember, defend, speak out and remain vigilant against anti-semitism smd, fascism; .
The Night of Broken Glass ; Kristallnacht, 1938
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