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Kristallnacht 1938
On November 7, 1938, a Jewish teenager, Herschel Grynszpan, fatally shot a German diplomat in Paris. Within three days anti-Jewish violence erupted throughout Germany, initially incited by local Nazi officials, and ultimately sanctioned by the decisions of Hitler and Goebbels at the pinnacle of the Third Reich. As synagogues burned and Jews were beaten in the streets, police stood aside. Men, women, and children―many neighbors of the victims―participated enthusiastically in acts of violence, rituals of humiliation, and looting. By the night of November 10, a nationwide antisemitic pogrom had inflicted massive destruction on synagogues, Jewish schools, and Jewish-owned businesses. During and after this spasm of violence and plunder, 30,000 Jewish men were rounded up and sent to concentration camps, where hundreds would perish in the following months.
Kristallnacht revealed to the world the intent and extent of Nazi Judeophobia. However, it was seen essentially as the work of the Nazi leadership. Now, Alan Steinweis counters that view in his vision of Kristallnacht as a veritable pogrom―a popular cathartic convulsion of antisemitic violence that was manipulated from above but executed from below by large numbers of ordinary Germans rioting in the streets, heckling and taunting Jews, cheering Stormtroopers' hostility, and looting Jewish property on a massive scale.
Based on original research in the trials of the pogrom's perpetrators and the testimonies of its Jewish survivors, Steinweis brings to light the evidence of mob action by all sectors of the civilian population. Kristallnacht 1938 reveals the true depth and nature of popular antisemitism in Nazi Germany on the eve of the Holocaust.
Kristallnacht revealed to the world the intent and extent of Nazi Judeophobia. However, it was seen essentially as the work of the Nazi leadership. Now, Alan Steinweis counters that view in his vision of Kristallnacht as a veritable pogrom―a popular cathartic convulsion of antisemitic violence that was manipulated from above but executed from below by large numbers of ordinary Germans rioting in the streets, heckling and taunting Jews, cheering Stormtroopers' hostility, and looting Jewish property on a massive scale.
Based on original research in the trials of the pogrom's perpetrators and the testimonies of its Jewish survivors, Steinweis brings to light the evidence of mob action by all sectors of the civilian population. Kristallnacht 1938 reveals the true depth and nature of popular antisemitism in Nazi Germany on the eve of the Holocaust.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 16, 2021
I thought this was decent. The writing is clear and well written. The author gives an in-depth account of the Kristallnacht. It shows the steps taken by the German government to eradicate the Jewish people. This was one of the final pushes to start the runaway train leading into the Holocaust. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to read more about pre-WWII antisemitism. Thanks!
October 27, 2017
Steinweis provides an outstanding look at the 1938 prelude to the Holocaust, with a clearly laid out overview and copious detail. A few examples ...
... Kristallknacht should be seen as the culmination of a brutal trajectory and not as a dramatic rupture with prior 'legalistic' persecution
... entire workforces of some enterprises were mobilized … entire troops of Hitler Youth … classes of schoolchildren … large crowds assembled and added laughter, applause, and heckling to support those engaged in the attacks … many of these onlookers then joined in the attacks ... even more joined in the subsequent plundering
... violence erupted within hours in hundred of communities
... 30,000 Jewish men … 10% of the entire Jewish population of Germany … were taken to concentration camps at Dachau, Buchenwald & Sachsenhausen ... they arrived at camps in 100 transports of 250-500 prisoners each … largest transport was 963 prisoners from Breslau
This was a massive operation, which these numbers probably understate: Ninety-one Jews were murdered. 7,500 Jewish homes were vandalized or burned. 267 synagogues were attacked, of which seventy-six were completely destroyed
I have serious disagreement with Steinweis on one point. He asserts "the decision to proceed was made only on the evening of Nov 9 … the ensuing action was thus a massive improvisation."
However, it seems to me that the evidence Steinweis assembles leads to the exact opposite conclusion, that Kristallknacht was a planned action, and that the last minute aspects of it had only to do with the timing of the order to "go" which then implemented (less than perfectly) a scheme which had been planned in advance.
... Kristallknacht should be seen as the culmination of a brutal trajectory and not as a dramatic rupture with prior 'legalistic' persecution
... entire workforces of some enterprises were mobilized … entire troops of Hitler Youth … classes of schoolchildren … large crowds assembled and added laughter, applause, and heckling to support those engaged in the attacks … many of these onlookers then joined in the attacks ... even more joined in the subsequent plundering
... violence erupted within hours in hundred of communities
... 30,000 Jewish men … 10% of the entire Jewish population of Germany … were taken to concentration camps at Dachau, Buchenwald & Sachsenhausen ... they arrived at camps in 100 transports of 250-500 prisoners each … largest transport was 963 prisoners from Breslau
This was a massive operation, which these numbers probably understate: Ninety-one Jews were murdered. 7,500 Jewish homes were vandalized or burned. 267 synagogues were attacked, of which seventy-six were completely destroyed
I have serious disagreement with Steinweis on one point. He asserts "the decision to proceed was made only on the evening of Nov 9 … the ensuing action was thus a massive improvisation."
However, it seems to me that the evidence Steinweis assembles leads to the exact opposite conclusion, that Kristallknacht was a planned action, and that the last minute aspects of it had only to do with the timing of the order to "go" which then implemented (less than perfectly) a scheme which had been planned in advance.
May 10, 2018
In present-day Germany there is this wide-spread reflex to say "Nazis" when "Germans" would be clearly more correct and honest. In this context i remember a moment in my school time, when a teacher of German once mocked this kind of perception as he showed us a cartoon about some extraterrestrials (the Nazis), that landed in Germany, did their crimes and disappeared again - the biggest exaggeration of this dishonest distinction between Germans and Nazis.
I've read several books about the "Third Reich" but somehow never before a detailed report about the "Kristallnacht". The euphemism is German for "Crystal night" (in reference to the broken glass of the Jewish shops and synagoges) and is still very common in German publications. But other names like "Novemberpogrom" or "Reichspogromnacht" seem to slowly supersede this biased term. I first heard about the pogrom in the history lessons at school, but always had the impression that this was an event that occured only in the biggest cities of Germany and that most Germans were frightened bystanders. I was wrong. It was everywhere, in every city and even smaller villages. And it was not only an operation that was executed by Hitler's SA troops. It was supported by big parts of the German population, even by men and women that weren't party members. In several cases children played their bad part too.
"Kristallnacht 1938" by Alan E. Steinweis is a very readable and informative book about the nationwide pogrom. A non-polemical and very fair depiction of this shameful episode of German history. Steinweis tells us, what happended before the pogrom, who was responsible for this barbaric act of violence and what happened after it. He tells the story of many Jewish victims and German perpetrators all around the country during the "Kristallnacht".
Steinweis shows that the pogrom was not planned a long time before it was executed but rather spontaneous. He also casts a light on the fact that many Germans participated because of very personal reasons (like old conflicts with their Jewish neighbors).
It's a shame that the book's so short. It would be interesting to know what happened in many other cities (like the ones in the Sudetenland or East Prussia) and how the Polish or Czech people reacted. The part about the international reactions was unfortunately not very detailed. Anyway an interesting read.
I've read several books about the "Third Reich" but somehow never before a detailed report about the "Kristallnacht". The euphemism is German for "Crystal night" (in reference to the broken glass of the Jewish shops and synagoges) and is still very common in German publications. But other names like "Novemberpogrom" or "Reichspogromnacht" seem to slowly supersede this biased term. I first heard about the pogrom in the history lessons at school, but always had the impression that this was an event that occured only in the biggest cities of Germany and that most Germans were frightened bystanders. I was wrong. It was everywhere, in every city and even smaller villages. And it was not only an operation that was executed by Hitler's SA troops. It was supported by big parts of the German population, even by men and women that weren't party members. In several cases children played their bad part too.
"Kristallnacht 1938" by Alan E. Steinweis is a very readable and informative book about the nationwide pogrom. A non-polemical and very fair depiction of this shameful episode of German history. Steinweis tells us, what happended before the pogrom, who was responsible for this barbaric act of violence and what happened after it. He tells the story of many Jewish victims and German perpetrators all around the country during the "Kristallnacht".
Steinweis shows that the pogrom was not planned a long time before it was executed but rather spontaneous. He also casts a light on the fact that many Germans participated because of very personal reasons (like old conflicts with their Jewish neighbors).
It's a shame that the book's so short. It would be interesting to know what happened in many other cities (like the ones in the Sudetenland or East Prussia) and how the Polish or Czech people reacted. The part about the international reactions was unfortunately not very detailed. Anyway an interesting read.
February 6, 2010
Remarkably readable history of Kristallnacht and the implications of the pogram.
October 13, 2016
Good overview of Kristallnacht but very dry. I found myself wanting more detail and eyewitness testimony, but the book focused more on German bureaucracy and the official mechanisms that propelled the pogrom into existence. This is valuable, but not the whole story. I'm reading another book about Kristallnacht next, so I hope that one satisfies my curiosity, since this one barely scratched the surface.
October 23, 2013
A scientific new historical view on the 1938 Reichskristallnacht in Germnay. Illustrating the decision making between Goebbels and Hitler, the role of police, SA, SS and - most importantly - the average non-Jewish citizens.
August 23, 2020
A brilliant account of a horrific event. Reading Steinweis’ account of Kristallnacht shines a light on what America is experiencing today and how a people can be hijacked through strategic propaganda.
March 12, 2023
Very thorough look at Kristallnacht with focus on the events/actions that preceded it, the actual event (s) and the post-war legal efforts to bring those involved to courts. This book concentrates on the actions of the German people during this time period.
May 3, 2025
Quite informative, although it was hard to read (small print) so it took a long time to get through, despite it being relatively short.
It's also disturbing to see parallels between tactics used back then, and now in current times.
It's also disturbing to see parallels between tactics used back then, and now in current times.
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February 8, 2025Skimmed through this book for an essay and it was very informative
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews