Blog Question for Monday November 18- Hannah Wolinsky

Hannah Wolinsky

What happened on Kristallnacht? Why did the Nazis do it?

Kristallnacht, also known as the Night of Broken Glass, was a night that marked the destruction of Jewish-run businesses as well as any place of public Jewish life. 7,500 shops and businesses owned by Jews were destroyed on this night, and over 1,000 synagogues were broken into and stolen from. 300 synagogues were set on fire and neither police or fire brigades were allowed to do anything to stop it. About 26,000 Jews were gathered and taken to concentration camps, while 91 Jews were killed on this one night. This was the last time that such a violent occurrence toward the Jews would take place in public, rather than discreetly in private. The Nazis not only held Kristallnacht in order to further the discrimination and heartless attitude towards Jews, but also to ensure that Jews were no longer making a living the way they previously had been. By destroying 7,500 shops and businesses owned by Jews, the Nazis were ensuring that Jews no longer be in business or have any economical freedom.

What does Hitler mean by the distinction between "emotional antisemitism" and "racial antisemitism"?

Emotional anti-Semitism is anti-Semitism only based on emotional grounds. This type of anti-Semitism is not systematic and not truly effective. An example of emotional anti-Semitism is pogroms. Rational anti-Semitism, on the other hand, uses a legal and logical campaign against the Jews. Rational anti-Semitism includes destroying special privileges that the Jews enjoy with the ultimate destruction of all Jews.