This is a sad commemoration today, but when I was reading my This Day in Church History book last night, I knew this was the one to share. May today's commemoration be something that never repeats itself.
On this day in 1938, the horrendous Kristallnacht ("Night of Broken Glass") began. It was a two-day progrom or demonstration against the Jews in Germany and Austria. Before this horrible happening, precautions were taken so that Jews could not fight back. The day before, anything that Jews could use to defend themselves were removed from their homes. Goebbels also made a speech in which he told about the murder of a member of the German embassy in Paris by a Jew. This justified this massive uprising.
On the evening of November 9 and continuing on through November 10, over 7,000 Jewish shops and almost all synagogues were destroyed by the Nazi mob. The infamous name came from the broken glass all over the streets and in front of shops the next morning. Nearly 100 Jews were killed, and somewhere around 30,000 Jews were sent to concentration camps. I had not realized that this somewhat backfired--many Germans did not agree. But, of course, very few spoke out against the Nazis.
Whenever I read or watch something about the Nazis and their treatment of the Jews, my heart hurts. I still cannot believe sometimes that this horrid thing in history happened. I hope and pray that we have actually learned from history--may it never be repeated!
If you are interested, follow this link to a video memory from a survivor of this night.
And for more information, check out these sites:
