The Infamous Anniversary of Kristallnacht

Kristallnacht (German pronunciation), also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom (a series of coordinated attacks) against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria on November 9-10, 1938. German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.

At least 2,500+ Jews were killed in the attacks, and 30,000 were arrested and incarcerated in concentration camps. Jewish homes, hospitals, and schools were ransacked as the attackers demolished buildings with sledgehammers. Over 1,500 synagogues were burned (95 in Vienna alone) and over 7,000 Jewish businesses were destroyed or damaged. Jewish cemeteries were vandalized and countless Jewish homes were destroyed. To make matters worse, Germans charged Jewish people for "damages."

Photo taken at the Jewish Museum in Berlin, Germany by Deby Brown 2013

The attacks were prompted as a result of the assassination of a German diplomat by a German-born Polish Jew. Kristallnacht was followed by additional economic and political persecution of Jews, and is viewed as the beginning of the Holocaust.

Watch the video and look for similarities in what is going on around the world today that very well could be leading up to another Kristallnacht and launch another Holocaust.