Kristallnacht
By: Erin Stearns
Overview
November 9-10, 1938, in an incident known as “Kristallnacht”, or "The Night of Broken Glass". The SA paramilitary forces torched synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses. 91 Jews were murdered, 20,000 sent to camps. Nazis went on to name the cause of the event, a spontaneous uprising of the German people. The majority of Germans did of approve of what happened during the Kristallnacht and were astounded that they were said to be the cause. The aftermath of the Kristallnacht was a decree excluding Jews from German economic life.
Burning of the Michelsberg Synagogue
Nearly 200 synagogues were burned in Germany during Kristallnacht. Michelsberg was one of five synagogues attacked in Weisbaden during the Kristallnacht. Jews were taken from their cities, and their sacred places of worship were destroyed.
Concentration Camps
Picture taken by Pfc. Bertram Sanders,
103d cameraman, at one of the concentration camps in Landsberg after the city's capture by the 411th. Both German men and women were made to help dig the mass graves for the hundreds of dead found on the grounds of the camp. Those who survived were made to do nearly impossible labor and lived in harsh conditions under the Nazis.
103d cameraman, at one of the concentration camps in Landsberg after the city's capture by the 411th. Both German men and women were made to help dig the mass graves for the hundreds of dead found on the grounds of the camp. Those who survived were made to do nearly impossible labor and lived in harsh conditions under the Nazis.
Businesses Attacked
Many Jewish businesses were attacked, with rocks thrown in the windows and fires started. The Jews were banned from business contracts, shops, education and traders. Those who were not sent to camps had a hard time finding food and jobs.
Survivors Remember Kristallnacht: Susan (Hilsenrath) Warsinger
Survivors Remember Kristallnacht: Susan (Hilsenrath) Warsinger
In this interview with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Holocaust survivor Susan (Hilsenrath) Warsinger shares her memories of Kristallnacht, the November 1938 pogroms.
Works Cited
"Kristallnacht." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 12 Dec. 2014. <http://www.history.com/topics/kristallnacht>.
"Kristallnacht, Nov. 9-10, 1938." - CojsWiki. Web. 12 Dec. 2014. <http://cojs.org/cojswiki/index.php/Kristallnacht,_Nov._9-10,_1938>.
"Young Students Ask About Holocaust."Young Students Ask About Holocaust. Web. 12 Dec. 2014. <http://nuspel.org/holocaust.html>.
"Kristallnacht: The November 1938 Pogroms." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council. Web. 12 Dec. 2014. <http://www.ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/online-features/special-focus/kristallnacht>.
"Survivors Remember Kristallnacht: Susan (Hilsenrath) Warsinger." Personal interview. 8 2012.