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Kristallnacht

American  
[krees-tahl-nahkht] / krisˈtɑlˌnɑxt /

noun

  1. a Nazi pogrom throughout Germany and Austria on the night of November 9–10, 1938, during which Jews were killed and their property destroyed.


Etymology

Origin of Kristallnacht

< German Kristall crystal + Nacht night


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It is also the anniversary of Kristallnacht, heralding the near destruction of European Jewry in 1938.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025

For many, it was especially shocking coming on the eve of commemorations marking Kristallnacht, the 1938 Nazi pogroms against German Jews.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2024

One stunning photo showed police snipers silhouetted on a Miami Beach rooftop, providing security as members of the local Jewish community gathered for a commemoration of Kristallnacht.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 18, 2023

“The challenge really is that there are directly conflicting statements,” Barclay said Thursday night at an interfaith event marking the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, which many mark as the start of the Holocaust.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2023

When ten-year-old Albert Bastian awoke the morning after Kristallnacht, he was startled to see Levi, the Jewish livestock dealer with whom his father often dealt, sitting in their kitchen.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

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