Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

Kristallnacht

noun

/ˈkrɪstəlˌnɑːkt/

Definition

Kristallnacht, also known as the Night of Broken Glass, refers to a series of violent anti-Jewish pogroms that took place in Germany and Austria on the night of November 9-10, 1938.

Examples

During Kristallnacht, thousands of Jewish establishments were vandalized and looted.
Kristallnacht marked a significant escalation in the Nazi regime’s persecution of Jews.
The events of Kristallnacht shocked the world and foreshadowed the horrors of the Holocaust.

Meaning

The term ‘Kristallnacht’ translates to ‘Crystal Night’ in English, named after the shards of glass that littered the streets after the destruction of Jewish-owned businesses and synagogues.