A Young Refugee in Paris
Herschel Grynszpan, a 17-year-old Polish Jew, was living in Paris in 1938 after fleeing Nazi persecution in Germany. His parents, along with thousands of other Polish Jews, had been forcibly deported from Germany to Poland, where they were left stranded at the border in dire conditions.
A Desperate Act in the German Embassy
On November 7, 1938, Grynszpan walked into the German embassy in Paris with a revolver. He intended to protest the treatment of his family and other Jews. Inside, he shot Ernst vom Rath, a German diplomat. Rath died two days later from his wounds.
The Aftermath: Kristallnacht
News of the assassination reached Germany and was used by Nazi officials to incite violence against Jews. On November 9 and 10, the Nazis orchestrated a massive pogrom known as Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, during which Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues were destroyed across Germany and Austria.
An Uncertain Fate
Grynszpan was arrested by French police and later handed over to the Nazis. His ultimate fate remains unclear, as records of his final years are lost.
The Teen Who Sparked Kristallnacht
A Young Refugee in Paris
Herschel Grynszpan, a 17-year-old Polish Jew, was living in Paris in 1938 after fleeing Nazi persecution in Germany. His parents, along with thousands of other Polish Jews, had been forcibly deported from Germany to… pic.twitter.com/L58L7RG7g4— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TBBOB2) September 15, 2024