The 17-year-old Herschel Grynszpan, son of one of the families deported during the „Poland Action“, tried to kill the German ambassador in Paris on 7 November 1938. The National Socialists used this act as a pretext for pogroms against the Jewish population. This is known as „Crystal Night“. On the night of 9 to 10 November 1938, synagogues were burned down throughout Germany, shops of Jewish owners were destroyed and looted, Jewish men were arrested, and 400 Jewish people were killed. Cottbus was no exception. Here, too, the synagogue and shops were destroyed and arrests and acts of violence against Cottbus Jews took place. One of the scenes of this violence was the Old Market.
Albert Gompertz, Joachim Boin and Steffi Pinkus were directly affected by the effects of "Crystal Night". Her interviews show that these experiences have left a deep impression on their memories.
The National Socialists described the events of 9 and 10 November 1938 as "Crystal Night".
- Why is this term part of Nazi propaganda?
- Why do we today use the term Pogrom Night instead?