Kristallnacht Begins Across Nazi Germany
Coordinated anti-Jewish violence spread across Nazi Germany and annexed territories on the night of November 9–10, 1938.
Published · Updated · 1 min read
The Event
Coordinated anti-Jewish violence spread across Nazi Germany and annexed territories on the night of November 9–10, 1938. Synagogues, businesses and homes were attacked.
The Wider Story
Jewish people were killed, and thousands of Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps. The pogrom marked a major escalation in Nazi persecution.
Putting the Event in Perspective
The term Kristallnacht can obscure the violence against people behind an image of broken glass.
Reading the Historical Record
A responsible account identifies the antisemitic persecution and state involvement, while avoiding sensational reenactments of victims' suffering.
About the Historical Recreation
The accompanying visual is an illustrative reconstruction: an empty damaged Jewish shopfront in a German city in 1938, no visible victims or active attack. It is not authentic archival footage, an eyewitness record or additional evidence for the event.
Sources
Found an error? Send a correction. Read our editorial standards.