On the 9 and 10 November 1938, Jewish communities in
Germany and throughout Nazi occupied territories faced
widespread state-sponsored violence against their
businesses, homes and places of worship. The pogrom
became known as Kristallnacht (in English, crystal
night) after the smashed glass that littered the
streets on the morning of the 10 November.
Over the course of the evening an estimated 30,000
Jewish men were arrested and incarcerated in
concentration camps, including Dachau and Buchenwald.
The UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation set out in 2015 to
record the testimony of British survivors of the
Holocaust. In interviews with broadcaster Natasha
Kaplinsky, survivors recall their experiences of
Kristallnacht and the aftermath of the violence on
their daily lives, their families and their wider
communities.
UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation co-Chair said:
Kristallnacht was a moment where prejudice turned
into violence, and it is right 80 years on, that we
examine this vicious escalation of the Nazi campaign
against Jewish communities in Europe.
By understanding the steps that lead up to the
Holocaust, we are can remain vigilant to any attempt
to create divisions and stir up hate in our society
today.
UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation co-Chair said:
The Foundation was set up to increase the visibility
and scope of Holocaust education in the United
Kingdom, securing the legacy of the British Holocaust
survivors who have dedicated their lives to educating
the future generation on where prejudice, intolerance
and hatred can lead.
Our hope is that the short film released today, with
moving testimony from men and women who recall the
impact of Kristallnacht on their own communities, is
a small step in achieving these aims.
The aftermath of Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht was a turning point in the Nazi
persecution of the Jewish communities in their
territories. The events of the pogrom, widely reported
in the international press, lead to a wide range of
responses.
British Jewish community organisations and charities,
including World Jewish Relief, rallied the UK
government to allow the transport of children from
Germany and Austria to the United Kingdom. Less than a
month after the shocking events of Kristallnacht, on 2
December 1938, the first group of children arrived on
British shores to be placed with foster families.
Ultimately, 10,000 child refugees entered the country
in what came to be known as Kindertransport.
