The Day the Holocaust Began: The Odyssey of Herschel GrynszpanOn November 7, 1938, Herschel Grynszpan, a 17-year old Polish-German Jew, walked into the German Embassy in Paris and shot Third Secretary, Ernst vom Rath, who died shortly after. Vom Rath's death triggered the destruction and mahem which became known as Kristallnacht, or The Night of Broken Glass, resulting in the death of hundreds, the razing of 265 synagogues and 200 houses, the demolition of 7,500 business establishments, and the incarceration of 30,000 Jews in concentration camps. Herschel Grynszpan was immediately arrested. France's foremost criminal lawyer took over his defense. On June 8, 1940, two days before the French Government evacuated Paris, the youth was indicted for murder. A month later he was in Nazi hands, being interrogated by the Gestapo in anticipation of a major show trial. |
Contents
November 7 1938 | 3 |
The Death of vom Rath | 7 |
The Victim | 13 |
Copyright | |
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The Day the Holocaust Began: The Odyssey of Herschel Grynszpan Gerald Schwab No preview available - 1990 |