10 Nov 2013

75th anniversary of Kristallnacht observed

7:59 am on 10 November 2013

Germany has been observing the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht.

Organised mobs attacked synagogues, Jewish homes and businesses across Germany and Austria on 9 November, 1938. The attack was ordered by the Nazi Party.

At least 91 people were killed and 30,000 arrested. More than 1000 synagogues were burned and more than 7000 Jewish businesses destroyed or damaged.

The pretext was the assassination of German diplomat Ernst vom Rath by a Jewish youth in Paris two days before.

The event is often regarded as the starting point of the Holocaust.

Broken glass in the streets gave the pogrom the name of Crystal Night.

However, the BBC reports anti-Semitism is increasing, particularly on the internet, according to a survey of 5847 Jewish people by the Fundamental Rights Agency of the EU.

The survey said this was the view of 66% of those who responded