Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9??0 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.

German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.