Der Attentäter

Paris, early November 1938: Seventeen-year-old Herschel Grynszpan learns that his family has been deported from Hanover to the Polish border. He is visiting his uncle Abraham in Paris. Desperate, he plans to confront the German ambassador to help his family, even if it means using violence. In the embassy, a dramatic confrontation occurs with Legation Councillor Ernst vom Rath, during which the official is severely injured by Herschel and soon succumbs to his wounds. Hitler exploits this act of desperation to call for "revenge for the murder in Paris": On the night of November 9 to 10, 1938, pogroms erupt almost everywhere in Germany: Jews are beaten, arrested, and even murdered, Jewish businesses are looted, and synagogues are set on fire. This marks the beginning of the murder of millions.