The „Kristallnacht“-lie

Prof. Dr. Meier Schwarz of Synagogue Memorial, Jerusalem,

in cooperation with Karin Lange

 

 

1)      The events surrounding the night between the 9th and the 10th of November 1938 in Germany are often referred to as „(Reichs-)Kristallnacht“ (crystall night) – even today, and even by respected historians.

 

Horst Stickmann justifiably calls this word a „description, that plays down this event, suggesting that all that happened were a few shattered windows.“ („verharmlosende Bezeichnung, die suggerieren soll, als seien damals lediglich einige Fensterscheiben zu Bruch gegangen.“)[1] The expression „Kristallnacht“ disguises all the atrocities committed to the Jewish population  during this one night. As Avraham Barkai puts it in his essay „Schicksalsjahr 1938“(1938, year of doom): „’Kristallnacht’! It flashes, glitters and twinkles – just like a celebration! It’s about time for this ill-natured belittling term to disappear from historiography.“ („’Kristallnacht’! Das funkelt, blitzt und glitzert wie bei einem Fest! Es wäre längst Zeit, daß diese böswillig-verharmlosende Bezeichnung zumindest aus der Geschichtsschreibung verschwände.“[2]) Calling it a pogrom would be more accurate.

 

2) More than 60 years after the pogrom it is not only linguistics that needs to be fixed.

Even more important is to debunk the lies surrounding the “Kristallnacht“, concerning the number of martyrs and of destroyed synagogues.

 

            The head of the security forces, Reinhard Heydrich, mentions on November 11th, 1938 in a temporary report of the planned pogrom carried out two days ago in all of Germany, that within the Jewish population there were 36 casualties and another 36, that were severely injured. [3]

 

Even though the secret account of the High Court of Germany revised this number on February 13th, 1939, and talks about 91 casualties[4], it is this number (36) that was considered the final numbers of victims in academic literature – to this very day.

Even the Simon Wiesenthal Center mentions in a memorial text on the 50th anniversary of the pogrom, that the number of casualties was 36, even though some consider it to be 91(!).[5]

91, then, is the highest number of casualties mentioned in academic literature. This figure, however, is far below the true number. Furthermore, it is considered to be the newest scientific stand, even though current research has disproved it:

Hermann Graml, for example, pointed out in 1988, that the victims of the November pogrom consist not only of the Jews who died on the actual night of the pogrom, but also of those that were taken to the concentration camps (Dachau, Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen) that night and died there later as a result of cruel abuse. Graml estimates the number of people, who didn’t return home from the camps to be several hundred people.[6]

Also Wolfgang Benz estimates (in a research conducted in 1988) the number of casualties to be higher than hitherto estimated. He stresses, that the number of victims includes not only those people who died as a result of consequential damage and injuries, but also those who committed suicide as a result of the pogrom –even if the suicide occurred later.[7] They (the ones who commited suicide) must be considered direct victims of the pogrom („müssen als direkte Opfer des Pogroms gelten“)[8].

Already in 1981 Heinz Lauber mentions that the number of suicide cases connected directly or indirectly to the pogrom can hardly be reconstructed („Zahl der Freitode in direktem und vor allem indirektem Zusammenhang mit dem Judenpogrom November 1938“kaum noch rekonstruieren lässt) [9].

 

Spreading awareness of the high number of martyrs, including the suicide and concentration camp victims, was the starting point of a research project of the synagogue memorial. After detailed work with documents from the former concentration camps, interviews with descendents of the victims etc., our research team concluded, that the overall number of victims of the pogrom night lies around 1300-1500.[10]

            It is our aim to complete this list, including hitherto unknown victims. It has to be mentioned here, that the victims of the pogrom are normally not included as victims of the holocaust, since it preceded it. However, we think, that the burning of synagogues was an omen of Auschwitz („brennenden Synagogen […] Voraussignal für Ausschwitz“)[11].

 

 

            3) Historiography not only underestimates the number of martyrs. Also in the topic of destroyed or burned synagogues incorrect numbers have constantly been quoted.

 

In the above mentioned letter of Heydrich to Göring (November 11th, 1938) the number of burned synagogues is mentioned as 191, with another 76 damaged („An Synagogen wurden 191 in Brand gesteckt, weitere 76 vollständig demoliert.“)[12]

This number of 267 ruined synagogues found its way into practically every work of historical research related to this topic. There is hardly any researcher who doubted this number or at least tried to prove its correctness. Whether this naive belief in the truthfulness of one written source is an indication of scientific quality, may be up to the reader to decide.

 

            The few researchers who did doubt this number, such as Avraham Barkai[13] and Ronald Flade[14] were considered dissident voices and often attacked for their findings[15] [16]

 

After years of research Synagogue Memorial found, that the true number of destroyed or burned synagogues during the pogrom is 1574 (more than 5 times as many as the hitherto used number). Our aim is to remember each and every one of them.

 

 

            4) The scars of the pogrom will probably never heal…

 

Nevertheless, recounting this historic event in its full scale will make it easier for the victims and their descendents to cope with it.

Together with the synagogues the centers of Jewish life were burned down. The step to the destruction Jewish life itself, to genocide, was very small. It began the same night.

The holocaust began there, in view of the whole German population.

They knew enough not to want to know more.  

 

Most of the victims of Nazi-Terror prior to 1938 and of the pogrom night in 1938 are not known by name. Many of those names which are known to the International Red Cross, have been concealed. This is similar to reducing their human rights. In order to right this wrong and enable these victims to be brought into public consciousness, we urge you to name victims of the pogrom night and after, who until now have been anonymous victims.

Name:

 

 

First Name:

 

 

Date of birth:

 

 

Place of birth:

 

 

City:

 

 

Date of death:

 

 

Official reason for death:

 

 

Actual reason for death:

 

 

 

Please fill in the above form and return by fax or mail to:

 

Ashkenaz House

58 King George St
P.O.B 7440
91073 Jerusalem

ISRAEL
Tel 972-2-6233225
Fax 972-2-6233226
email: synagog@netvision.net.il

Bibliographie:

Barkai, Avraham. „’Schicksalsjahr 1938’: Kontinuität und Verschärfung der wirtschaftlichen Ausplünderung der deutschen Juden”. Hrsg. Walter H. Pehle. Der Judenpogrom 1938: Von der “Reichskristallnacht” zum Völkermord. Frankfurt am Main, 1988. 94-117.

 

Benz, Wolfgang. „Der Rückfall in die Barbarei: Bericht über den Pogrom.“ Hrsg. Walter H. Pehle. Der Judenpogrom 1938: Von der „Reichskristallnacht“ zum Völkermord. Frankfurt am Main, 1988. 13-51.

 

Flade, Roland. Die Würzburger Juden: Ihre Geschichte vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart. Würzburg, 1987.

 

Freimark, Peter und Kopitzsch, Wolfgang. Der 9./10. November 1938 in Deutschland: Dokumentation zur „Kristallnacht“. Hamburg, 19885.

 

Gorschenek, Günter und Reimers, Stephan (Hrsg.). Offene Wunden – brennende Fragen: Juden in Deutschland von 1938 bis heute. Frankfurt am Main, 1989.

 

Graml, Hermann. Reichskristallnacht: Antisemitismus und Judenverfolgung im Dritten Reich. München, 1988.

 

Hofmann, Thomas u.a. (Hrsg.). Pogromnacht und Holocaust: Frankfurt, Weimar, Buchenwald… Die schwierige Erinnerung an die Stationen der Vernichtung. Weimar, Köln und Wien, 1994.

 

Kraus, Wolfgang. „Sachlich-inhaltliche Überlegungen zur ‘Reichskristallnacht’”. Hrsg. Wolfgang Kraus und Siegfried Bergler. Die ‘Reichskristallnacht’, 9. November 1938: 50 Jahre danach – was geht mich das an? Eine Arbeitshilfe für Unterricht und Gemeindearbeit. Neuendettelsau, 1988. 2-12.

 

Kropat, Wolf-Arno. “Reichskristallnacht”: Der Judenpogrom vom 7. bis 10. November 1938 – Urheber, Täter, Hintergründe. Wiesbaden, 1997.

 

Lauber, Heinz. Judenpogrom: „Reichskristallnacht“ November 1938 in Großdeutschland: Daten – Fakten – Dokumente – Quellentexte – Thesen und Bewertungen. Gerlingen, 1981.

 

Müller, Christiane und Müller, Hans-Jürgen (Hrsg.). Gedenken – Erinnern: Eine Handreichung aus Anlaß des 60. Jahrestages der Reichspogromnacht. Neuendettelsau, 1998.

 

Pätzold, Kurt und Runge, Irene. Pogromnacht 1938. Berlin, 1988.

Simon Wiesenthal Center (Hrsg.). Kristallnacht. November 9-10, 1938: A Resource Book and Program Guide. Los Angeles, 1988.

 

Stuckmann, Horst. „’Reichskristallnacht’ – Beispiel faschistischer Rassenpolitik”. Hrsg. Max Oppenheimer (u.a.). Als die Synagogen brannten: Antisemitismus und Rassismus gestern und heute. Köln, 19883. 15-35. 15.


 


[1]Stuckmann, Horst. „’Reichskristallnacht’ – Beispiel faschistischer Rassenpolitik”. Hrsg. Max Oppenheimer (u.a.). Als die Synagogen brannten: Antisemitismus und Rassismus gestern und heute. Köln, 19883. 15-35. 15.

[2]Barkai, Avraham. „’Schicksalsjahr 1938‘: Kontinuität und Verschärfung der wirtschaftlichen Ausplünderung der deutschen Juden“. Hrsg. Walter H. Pehle. Der Judenpogrom 1938: Von der „Reichskristallnacht“ zum Völkermord. Frankfurt am Main, 1988. 94-117. 113.

[3]Schnellbrief des Chefs der Sicherheitspolizei Heydrich an den Preußischen Ministerpräsidenten Hermann Göring am 11. November 1938. In: Kropat, Wolf-Arno. „Reichskristallnacht“: Der Judenpogrom vom 7. bis 10. November 1938 – Urheber, Täter, Hintergründe. Wiesbaden, 1997. 235.

[4]Kropat, Wolf-Arno. „Reichskristallnacht“:  Der Judenpogrom vom 7. bis 10. November 1938 – Urheber, Täter, Hintergründe. Wiesbaden, 1997. 148.

[5]   Simon Wiesenthal Center (Hrsg.). Kristallnacht. November 9-10, 1938: A Resource Book and Program Guide. Los Angeles, 1988. 5.

[6]Graml, Hermann. Reichskristallnacht: Antisemitismus und Judenverfolgung im Dritten Reich. München, 1988. 32.

[7]Benz, Wolfgang. „Der Rückfall in die Barbarei: Bericht über den Pogrom.“ Hrsg. Walter H. Pehle. Der Judenpogrom 1938: Von der „Reichskristallnacht“ zum Völkermord. Frankfurt am Main, 1988. 13-51. 29.

[8]Stuckmann 15.

[9]auber, Heinz. Judenpogrom: „Reichskristallnacht“ November 1938 in Großdeutschland: Daten – Fakten – Dokumente – Quellentexte – Thesen und Bewertungen. Gerlingen, 1981. 217.

[10]The number of victims on the night itself is 400. Another 400 people were killed in the days following the pogrom (not in the concentration camp).

Our research team compiled a temporary list of martyrs of the concentration camps in the aftermatch of the pogrom: They found, that 207 people were killed in Buchenwald, 185 in Dachau, and about 200-300 in Sachsenhausen (exact number unknown).

[11]Stuckmann 15.

[12]Schnellbrief des Chefs der Sicherheitspolizei Heydrich an den Preußischen Ministerpräsidenten Hermann Göring am 11. November 1938. In: Kropat, Wolf-Arno. „Reichskristallnacht“: Der Judenpogrom vom 7. bis 10. November 1938 – Urheber, Täter, Hintergründe. Wiesbaden, 1997. 235

 

[13]he talks about 400 burned synagogues („fast alle noch bestehenden Synagogen, ca. 400 an der Zahl, […] in Flammen“)

[14]  he talks about more than a thousand destroyed synagogues, see footnote 15

[15] Wolfgang Kraus, for example, calls the number 1000 a laps, see footnote 16

[16]Kraus, Wolfgang. „Sachlich-inhaltliche Überlegungen zur ‘Reichskristallnacht’“. Hrsg. Wolfgang Kraus und Siegfried Bergler. Die ‘Reichskristallnacht’, 9. November 1938: 50 Jahre danach – was geht mich das an? Eine Arbeitshilfe für Unterricht und Gemeindearbeit. Neuendettelsau, 1988. 2-12. 8.