The Fight Against the Nazis

November 9, 1938

   Dear Journal    
        I don’t understand why the Nazi’s wanted to terrorize Jewish business, I hate how the Nazi’s think that they are better then the rest of the Germans.

         Today as I was driving home from work, when I saw young men harassing and vandalizing a local store-owner. I saw them throw objects through the window. I began to feel hatred towards them. I noticed the Nazi symbol on their jackets. I saw the owner of the store run outside, screaming for them to stop, the young men laughed as they threw more objects around.

         I could still hear them by the time I got home. I was filled with anger, as I grabbed my gun from my desk drawer and sprinted over to the store. I stayed in the shadows so they couldn’t see me. I saw one of the Nazis pick up a rock and whip it at the storeowner. The blow to his head knocked him out. I set off a warning shot into the sky. As soon as the men heard the gunshots they ran like cowards. The storeowner was lying on the ground. I picked him up and carried him inside the store. I waited until he began to come around, to leave. I told him what had happened he looked around his store and began weeping. He was bleeding all down the side of his head, where he was struck with the rock. I stayed with him, and helped him clean up the shattered glass, but there was nothing we could do about the windows. As I was leaving, I heard him quietly sobbing. From that moment I swore that I would do anything I could to fight against the Nazis.  

The Sound of Broken Glass

November 9, 1938

Dear Journal,

         Tonight was a very horrifying night. As I was about to close down my store, I saw them coming. A gang of young men, they had the Nazi symbols on their clothing. They were yelling insults and screaming. I turned my back as I was grabbing my coat. I heard a defining crash, as an object flew across the room, the glass shattering everywhere.

         I ran outside screaming at them, to stop. I could feel the heat rising in my face. I heard laughter; I saw people standing close to my store. I kept thinking to myself “Why don’t they help me?” I grabbed one of the men and tried to make them drop the object. They pushed me back, hatred and anger in his eyes. I could feel my face draining its color. I no longer felt the anger, I felt scared. He threw a rock. I felt the hard object smash into the side of my head. I fell to the ground whimpering in agony. As I was getting up they grabbed me and pushed me up towards the wall. “It’s about time you Jews, that you are no longer accepted in Germany.” The man closest to me screamed. I saw them playing with a match, they lit a piece of paper on fire and threw into my store. I fought to get away from the men holding me back. They laughed and struck me with a rock; I could feel myself losing consciences, my world turning black.

The Violance in the Store Next Door

November 9, 2011

Dear Journal,

         Today I witnessed such injustice. I couldn’t believe something so terrible could happen to someone so nice.

         It was late at night. The weather was very grim. I was sitting alone in my den, reading a book, when I heard screaming coming down the street. I ran towards my window. Young men, they were wearing the Nazi symbol on their jackets, were throwing rocks at through the window, glass shattering everywhere. I was stuck; I couldn’t move away from the spot, I had to know what’s going to happen. The owner of the store came running outside. He had a terrified look on his face. I wanted to help him but I was scared they would come after my family and me next. One of the young men held the owner against the wall, while they began lighting objects on fire and throwing them through the windows. The owner was screaming, struggling to get away from the men. The men got tired of holding the owner back; I saw one of the men pick something sharp and heavy off the ground. The owner was knocked out; his limp body slumped to the ground. I saw a dark shadow moved swiftly through the background. The shadow had a gun and began shooting towards the sky. The young men ran away in the darkness. The shadow came more into the light. I could see it was a young men, I could just make out the anger in his face. He picked up the owner and carried him away. I walked slowly upstairs to my bed, the events of tonight played over and over again in my mind. I had a very tough time getting to sleep after that night.

The Mastermind Behind Kristallnact: Heydrich's Journal

November 10, 1938

Dear Journal,

          Today I have held a conference in front of the Nazi officials, in Wannsee, Germany. Goering told me to solve the Jew problem, I have been up for a fortnight trying to think of anything, I came up with several options but the two that seem the most logical were 1) deport all the Jews from Germany, 2) work them like slaves until they are to weak, and exterminate them. We have set instructions that will make Germany a better place, a Jew free country. There already were laws that didn’t allow Jews to go to certain public places, or have certain rights, but now we are going to stripe Jews of all their rights as a citizen.

          As I was driving down towards Munich Germany, the weather was as if it was about to rain fire. I could see in the distance riots in the streets. Young Nazis were terrorizing Jewish-owned stores. I laughed as I saw the pathetic look on the owner’s face as he screamed for them to stop. It was no use; the young Nazis were throwing rocks and heavy objects through the windows, glass shattering everywhere, he screamed in pain as a heavy object hit him. Synagogues were being burned to the ground. People were running around out of the way of fire, and objects being thrown. Many people were hit and knocked out, corpse like bodies were scattered throughout the streets.

            The Jews were finally getting what they deserve, soon they will be captured, and the real Germans will have more land, and more money. I sent a telegram that involved the instructions for the final solution, all the Jews will be treated as they should be treated, less then human. I will make this country Jew free.

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"Night of Broken Glass" The overview of Kristallnact

In 1938, more laws were passed, including one that arrested Polish Jews living in Germany. The Polish government sent these people to “relocation camps.” One of them was Zindel Grynszpan. He and his family were sent to the camps. His son, Herschel, was living in Paris at the time. He was angry with Germany, and went to the German embassy. He assassinated Ernst vom Rath, a Nazi official. The assassination led to Kristallnacht, or “Night of Broken Glass”. On November 9 and 10, 1938, Nazis attacked and vandalized Jewish businesses and homes.

Hitler became Chancellor in Germany in 1933. In 1935, he passed the Nuremberg Laws, which took away Jews’ rights. Jews were not considered German anymore, and were banned from public locations.

Gangs of youth Nazis attacked Jewish-owned businesses, and burned down synagogues. Thousands of Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps, and almost one hundred died. The German government didn’t take responsibility for the attacks. Instead, they blamed the Jews for it.

The Nazis blamed the Jews for the bad economy. Nazi officials held a conference in Wannsee, Germany, in 1938, where they laid out instructions for the “Final Solution” to get rid of their “Jewish problem”. The “Final Solution” is the Nazi government’s plan to exterminate all the Jews in Europe. They began sending Jews to concentration camps, and Kristallnacht is considered the beginning of the Holocaust.