Kristallnacht
...“Zuchthaus” (prison sentence). Jewish people were by law those who had at least three from that race coming grandparents. 17 000 polish Jews resident in Germany were driven into no man’s land and into “relocation camps” on the polish border, unable to gain admission into either country. In hopelessness a son of one of those couples, named Herschel Grynszpan, short Ernest von Rath, a German commissural official, in Paris on November 7th. News of his death on November 9th reached Adolf Hitler in Munich, where he was celebrating the anniversary of his abortive Beer Hall Putsch from 1923. Therefore Joseph Goebbels –Hitler’s minister of Propaganda- harangued the gathering of old storm Troopers after conferring with his “Führer”. He urged violent reprisals to be staged to appear as “spontaneous demonstrations”. Telephone orders from Munich set off a progrom throughout Germany and Austria. For both, the shooting in Paris provided an opportunity to incite Germans to “rule in bloody vengeance against the Jews. In the first half of 1938, many laws were passed to reduce and cut Jewish economic activity and occupational opportunities. In July 1938 a law was passed requiring all Jews to carry identification cards. The progrom of 9th-10th November was a major step to the economic and physical destruction for the Jewish population of Germany. Jews couldn’t hope any longer for an end of the persecution and the resumption of normal life. In their desperation, they tried to emigrate but they found that all countries had placed tight restriction on the number of Jewish immigrants allowed. In the night of 8th to 9th November started the so called “Kristallnacht” (also “Reichskristallnacht”). In fifteen terrifying hours the Nazis killed 91 Jews, hundreds were seriously injured and thousands more humiliated and terrorized. Approximately 177 synagogues were burned or otherwise demolished, and about 7500 Jewish businesses were gutted. Police were ordered not to interfere. Moreover, on the orders of the chief of the security police Reinhard Heydrich, the Gestapo arrested 30 000 wealthy Jews. They were released only on condition of immigration and surrender of the wealth. 26 000 Jews were arrested and sent to concentrations camps. Three days after the “Kristallnacht”, on November 12th, Göring called a meeting of the top Nazi leadership to evaluate the damage done during the night and place responsibility for it. They wanted to make the Jews responsible for the “Kristallnacht” and us the events of the previous days as a rationale for proclamation and spread a series of anti-Semitic laws which would remove in effect Jews from the German economy. At that meeting it was decided that the Jews should held legally and financially responsible for the damages incurred by the program. The Jews had to pay a fine of one billion. Reichsmark was buried for the salving...