../germusa/customs.htm Click on November 9 Kristallnacht

READ: This is a huge topic to cover thoroughly and responsibly, but we’ll try to gain a quick understanding of this event through this exercise. Please skim as many of the readings as possible and follow directions carefully. This is NOT PARTNER WORK. You need to read and think through these materials on your own, because the information you’ll be reading today will affect each of you differently. It takes a great deal of reading and time to understand what went on during the Nazi era: how did Hitler gain power, why were the Jews and other groups the target of the Nazis, how did the killing begin, what went on during the war, what have we learned since then and how has Germany dealt with its past and turned into a modern, democratic country that we now count as a strong ally. Consider this the first small step on your way to learning more and developing the ability to discuss these issues intelligently and responsibly. Please keep in mind that this is ancient history for German kids your age. Nevertheless it's important that we face and understand the historical records. By the way, German schools are also required to teach about the Holocaust.

The Hitler era was a short but horrible period in German history and we should remember that there are many other interesting periods in German history and many positive contributions that Germans have made to Western Civilization. Changes in German life and law have made Germany a country that welcomes immigrants from other nations and accepts their differences. There are always exceptions, but the past fifty years speak strongly and convincingly for the positive steps Germany has made since World War Two. View the rest of my site for many examples of the positive side of German life and culture.

 1. WHITE BOX My site: What other event happened on Nov 9 in German history? What did Hitler try to do in 1923? He succeeded in 1933.

2-3. Read the article and view the video - 1st  and 2nd links indicated

4. YELLOW Overview of Kristallnacht from About.com 

1. What does Kristallnacht mean and how is it usually translated into English?

2. In what year did Kristallnacht take place and in which two countries?

3. The damage to shop windows was estimated at $____ million U.S. dollars. ______ Jews were murdered while ________ Jews were arrested and sent to camps such as Dachau, Sachsenhausen, and Buchenwald.
4. What did the term Judenfrei mean?

5. What were the Nazis trying to do to the 50,000 Polish Jews living in Germany?

 5.  Brief summary of the events surrounding Kristallnacht.

1.        The attack came after Herschel Grynszpan, a 17 year old Jew living in Paris, _____________a member of the German Embassy staff there in retaliation (revenge) for the poor treatment his father and his family suffered at the hands of the Nazis in Germany.

2.        On October 27, Grynszpan's family and over _____________ other Jews, originally from Poland, had been expelled from Germany without any warning. They were forcibly transported by train in boxcars then dumped at the Polish border.

3.        For Adolf Hitler and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, the shooting in Paris provided an opportunity to incite Germans to "________________________ against the Jews."

4.        SS leader Reinhard Heydrich reported ________ businesses destroyed, ________ synagogues burned (with __________ totally destroyed) and _______ Jews killed.

5.        Regarding the economic impact of the damage from Kristallnacht and the resulting massive insurance claims, Hermann Göring stated the _________ would be billed for the damage and that any insurance money due to them would be confiscated (taken) by the State.

6. US Holocaust Memorial Museum's comprehensive Kristallnacht website.

1.        Click the first picture. What did the fire department do about the synagogue fire?

2. Click and skim the section on SYNAGOGUES and then BUSINESSES. Click on any pictures.

3. Click on JEWISH EMIGRATION FROM GERMANY:

a.     In the ten months following Kristallnacht, more than _____________ Jews emigrated from the Reich (German empire).

b.     Why didn’t many countries want to allow the Jews to enter their countries?

c.     Click on the little girl’s passport. What happened to her family?

7. Simon Wiesenthal Learning Center on Kristallnacht.   VIEW ONLY. Work your way slowly through the photos in order.

8. Jewish Student Online Research Center Kristallnacht Site.

1.        Read the first link - an eyewitness acount

2.       Second link: The Destruction of Synagogues on Kristallnacht . The pogrom (attacks) occurred throughout Germany (Reich – empire), which by then included both _______________ and the Sudetenland region of ________________________.

3.       Fourth link: Kristallnacht: This entire page is an excellent summary well worth reading carefully. What legal actions were taken against the Jews and what laws were passed? Skim through this page and go all the way to the bottom to see more rules and laws. 

9. Kristallnacht: timeline of events, photos, map of destruction. This site provides a timeline of main events of the Hitler era. Skim/read through them if you wish or go to 1938 Kristallnacht. Look at the photos/video. It would be worth reading this site on your own

10. Return to my November 9 site.  See what other websites are offered.  If time, view any other resources.

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