(New York, N.Y.) — The Kristallnacht (“Night of Broken Glass”) pogrom transpired across Germany 87 years ago. On November 9–10, 1938, the Nazi Party’s SS and SA, along with German civilians, unleashed a wave of organized, systematic violence—the first organized instance sanctioned by the Nazi government—which killed at least 91 Jews and destroyed thousands of Jewish-owned properties and synagogues. Coupled with the mass arrest of more than 25,000 Jewish men sent to concentration camps, Kristallnacht marked a turning point in the Nazi regime’s systematic oppression of Jews which eventually resulted in the Holocaust, ultimately claiming the lives of two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population. 

Marking the 87^th anniversary, Counter Extremism Project CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace stated:

“Today, the rise of extremist ideology reminds us how quickly hatred, when left unchecked, can spread and radicalize societies. Support for terrorist groups and violent antisemitism are on the rise, often unchallenged or even encouraged. With each act, whole societies are desensitized, raising the threshold for what society is willing to tolerate. Kristallnacht is a day to remember and honor victims and take decisive action to prevent such atrocities from happening again. That means confronting hate before it takes root.

“As part of its effort to eradicate growing extremism, CEP has re-purposed the home of Rudolf Höss, the commandant of Auschwitz, into the Auschwitz Research Center on Hate, Extremism and Radicalization (ARCHER) at House 88. ARCHER will confront not just the consequences of extremism but the quiet, everyday mechanisms that allow people to rationalize, normalize, and ultimately encourage it. Through education, research, advocacy, and art, ARCHER at House 88 serves as a beacon for confronting the mainstreaming of the extreme.”

Click here for more information about CEP’s new initiative to fight antisemitism and extremism, the Auschwitz Research Center on Hate, Extremism and Radicalization (ARCHER) at House 88.