Germany Marks 88 Years Since Kristallnacht Pogroms

Germany is commemorating the 88th anniversary of the November Pogroms, also known as "Kristallnacht," which occurred on November 9, 1938. This event, described as a "breakdown of civilization," saw the murder of over 1,300 people, the destruction of more than 1,400 synagogues and prayer rooms, and the looting of approximately 7,500 businesses. Over 30,000 Jewish men were deported to concentration camps.

The pogroms, incited by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels during a speech in Munich, were presented as a spontaneous outburst of public anger. The Nazis used the assassination of German diplomat Ernst vom Rath in Paris by 17-year-old Herschel Grünspan on November 7, 1938, as a pretext. Grünspan's act was a protest against the deportation of his family from Germany. While most violence occurred on November 9, unrest began as early as November 7 in some areas and continued until November 13.

SS leader Reinhard Heydrich issued a directive to spare German lives and property, specifying that synagogue fires should only occur if there was no danger to the surrounding area. Contemporary reports, such as from the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung," described the chaos in Berlin, with police remaining absent and unresponsive to calls from frightened business owners.

The November Pogroms marked a critical escalation from the systematic discrimination and disenfranchisement of Jews that had been ongoing since 1933, including the Nuremberg Laws and the "Aryanization" of Jewish property. Jews were forced to pay for the damages caused during the pogroms and were additionally subjected to a "atonement contribution" of one billion Reichsmark. Historians view this event as a direct precursor to the Holocaust, leading to extermination camps like Auschwitz and Treblinka.

Historian Wolfgang Benz stated, "Everything changed on November 9, 1938." Frank Bajohr, head of the Center for Holocaust Studies in Munich, interprets the pogroms as a sign of the Nazis' perceived security, following Austria's annexation and Germany's occupation of the Sudetenland. Despite international sympathy for the Jewish population, few countries were willing to accept large numbers of Jewish emigrants.

The article also draws a parallel to contemporary fears among German Jews, citing the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which has reawakened old anxieties. Jewish institutions in Germany continue to require police protection, and recent terror attacks on synagogues in Halle (2019) and Oldenburg (2024) have caused further distress. In a symbol of resilience, several synagogues destroyed during the Nazi era have been reopened since October 2023 in cities like Potsdam, Kiel, Magdeburg, and Dessau, serving as beacons of hope. Germany currently has over 100 synagogues and 31 prayer rooms in use, a stark contrast to the over 3,000 that existed before 1933.