Herschel Grynszpan

Herschel Feidel Grynszpan (born the March 28th 1921 with Hanover, in Germany and probably deceased between 1944 and 1945) was a young person Juif Polish which, in 1938, assassinated Ernst vom Rath, the adviser of the embassy of Germany with Paris. This act served as a pretext for Adolf Hitler for launching against the Jews of the operations of great scale which will succeed, three days later, with the Nuit of crystal.

Its family

Born in Hanover in 1921, Herschel Grynszpan is the sixth of a Fratrie of eight children. His/her father Sendel Siegmund Grynszpan and his mother Rifka Silberberg, both originating in the area of Radomsk in Russian Poland, leave in 1911 (one year after their marriage) the Russia to settle in Hanover. After the restitution in Poland of its territorial sovereignty by the agreements of Versailles, they take nationality polonaise.
The family saw with difficulty incomes of a workshop of tailor. The crisis of 1929 does not arrange anything and the father is obliged to give up his graver until in 1934 and to make some secondhand trades for survivre.
The March 31st 1938 the Grynszpan family falls under the blow from a law from the Polish government which has withdrawn nationality with the Poles installed abroad for more than 5 years and having lost any bond with Poland.

In the night of the 28 with the October 29th 1938, the Nazis expel 15000 Polish Jews which suddenly become stateless people. In Hanover, 484 people are expelled, among whom Grynszpan.

The school

After returnbeing returned nursery school, it enters in 1926 to the elementary school of Hanover where it remains until in 1935 without to have reached the final class, only for lack of heat. It is a child brawler and with the bad caractère.
To its exit of the school in 1935, it leaves the May 10th for the Yeshiva Solomon Breuer to Frankfurt, where it intends to learn Hebrew to leave in Palestine. It arises the April 15th 1936 and returns of it in his parents. It intends to await its visa for Palestine in an aunt with Brussels.

The emigration

Herschel is Polish citizen born in Germany, and has a Polish passport established for two years. It must ask the German police force a visa for Belgium. Having always the desire to emigrate in Palestine, it will make the meeting of a person in a synagog which will change the course of its vie.
“a boy as you does not have to remain in Germany where a Jew is not a man but is treated like a dog. ” He advises to him to go to France. The uncle Abraham of Paris wants the recevoir.
well

In July 1936, it leaves for Brussels, where it is accommodated by family, Zaslavsky, with 37 rue des Tanneurs where it remains a few days. September 15th, it crosses the border and is found clandestinely in France. Of October 1936 with August 1938, Herschel will try to obtain correct documents.

The stay in Paris

The uncle Abraham signs with the Police headquarter a certificate of lodging by which it is committed ensuring the subsistence of his nephew and to teach him a trade. With the wire of the months, and expiry of its passport and its visas, it will at the same time find prohibited stay in four countries: France, Belgium, Poland, Allemagne.
Each week Herschel Grynszpan receives 30 to 40 francs for the assistance which it gives to the workshop clothes industry that his/her uncle carries out. It will benefit from the delights of Parisian life, where it privileges idleness and the distractions with work. It often takes part in exits organized by sporting groupings or Jewish newspapers. It often leaves with his friend Nathan Kaufman who lives in the same district as lui.
the August 11th 1938 it receives an order of expulsion in the four days. It obliges his uncle to place it in a Chambre of good on the 5th floor of the 8, Rue Martel.

• Thursday, November 3: Herschel receives a chart of his/her Berta sister teaching him expulsion from its family towards the Polish camp of Zbąszyn. An idea obsesses it: to avenge its family.

• Friday, November 4: It reads the news which reports the situation of the Jews expelled thanks to the newspaper Yiddish the " Pariser Haint" that his/her uncle receives.
• Saturday, November 5: Its day is agitated, it turns and turns over in its head the events of Zbonszyn. He wants to make pay the Germans.
• Sunday, November 6: It reproaches his/her uncle and his aunt their lack of compassion with regard to their co-religionists. The uncle Abraham is annoyed: “If you are not content, you have to only leave. ” Herschel from goes away while claquant the door in spite of the reasoning of his/her beautiful aunt. It leaves with his friend Nathan, they separate with 19:30. Herschel takes a room with the " Hotel of Suez" , 17 bd de Strasbourg. On the register it gives a false identity, that of Halter, Heinrich.
  It will be locked up in its room until the following day.
• Monday, November 7: In the small hour, it writes a letter of good-bye to his/her parents with the back of a portrait of him.

The assassination

After a breakfast taken with the hotel, it goes to 8:30 in an cutlery-arms manufacture, " The Expert swordsman " located at the 61 Holy Suburb Martin.
Mr Carpe, the tradesman, advises a Révolver to him gauges 6.35mm, more handy than a automatic pistol.
It pays 210 francs the weapon, plus 35 francs the box of cartridges by showing its passport polonais.
While leaving, it goes to the brewery " All-goes-Bien" Boulevard St-Denis, moves towards the toilets to the basement and load the Barillet of five cartridges. It puts its weapon in the inside pocket of its veste.
It leaves the brewery, takes the Ligne 8 with Strasbourg St Denis, changes with Madeleine for the line 12 and goes down to Solférino, very close to the Ambassade of Germany.

It is 9:35 approximately when Herschel arrives at the 78, Rue of Lille, in front of the embassy. It returns by the public door where the woman of the caretaker receives it. He asks to have a discussion with the private secretary of the ambassador in order to give an important document to him. He crosses the main courtyard and climbs large which leads to the first stage.

After having declined the offer of the usher to give itself the file, the third adviser Ernst vom Rath, receives it in its office.
Les two men sat face to face in front of the office; after vom Rath asks for the object of its visit to him, Grynszpan rises, leaves the pocket of the jacket its revolver and exclaims: “You are dirty a boche and in the name of twelve thousand Jews persecuted here the document. ”
In same time it draws 5 times. The man collapses but finds the force to call the Help!. Herschel is arrété by the personnel and given to the policeman François Autret in faction in front of the embassy. Seriously wounded, vom Rath is taken along to the private clinic of Alma, street of the University.

The arrest

“I shot five blows from revolver at a man alone who was in the office to be avenged for the Germans. I did that to avenge my parents who are unhappy in Germany. ”

Here what Herschel Grynszpan says to the police officer who brings it to the police station, Rue of Burgundy.
When the police chief is on the point of receiving the deposition of the accused, a civil servant of the embassy arrives, and against all the procedure rules questions Grynszpan: ; Why did you shoot at the embassy secretary? : To avenge me for the persecutions inflicted by these dirty boches. ; Why do you believe yourselves in charge of this revenge? : Because expelled Polish is my co-religionists. ; You are Jewish? : Yes.

During the excavation, one will find the chart of good-bye written in the morning with the hotel. This chart will be used by the civil part to prove the préméditation.
After having enregitré the first consents, the police chief carries out the reconstitution. The way is remade in company of Grynszpan, which is confronted with his/her uncle, the arms manufacturer and the tenant of the hotel. However he will refuse to go to the embassy of Germany of fear of being retained there. In the official report the murderer recognizes the facts. The following day afternoon in front of the examining magistrate, it will try to modify the bad impression of the day before:

“I acted neither by hatred nor by revenge, but by love for my father and my people who undergo amazing sufferings. I deeply regret having wounded a man but I did not have an other means of expressing my will… It is not a crime to be Juif. We are not dogs. The Jewish people have also the right to life. ”

The other truth

It was thought a long time that Grynszpan wanted to assassinate the ambassador from Germany in Paris, the Count Johannes von Welczeck.
Several indices make it possible to doubt it:

1. the young killer will be allowed freely without to have had to fill of form.
2. It will require to see this private secretary and not the ambassador.
3. Of the testimonys deposited at the time of a lawsuit to the parquet floor of Essen proves that Grynszpan and vom Rath had met by attending the Parisian homosexual medium, with the " Ox on the roof " inter alia.
4. Of the sources reveals that vom Rath suffered from a MST on its return of Calcutta.

His/her parents will confirm in December 1938 that Herschel had required of the embassy secretary to regularize his situation for an exit visa of France and entry in Germany, since it was in full illegality because of his out-of-date passport. Vom Rath would have refused, from where the anger of Herschel. When the Ministry for the businesses foreign Nazi discovers the true history, it will try to convince the Welczeck ambassador to make a deposition proving that it was him which was aimed. But the ambassador refuses all déclaration.
With the autumn the 1942 preparations of the lawsuit will be stopped without motivations officielles.
However, since 1938 André Gide wrote:

What will say Abetz and Aschenbach

• According to Ernst Achenbach which was embassy secretary in the Thirties: he would have to accommodate on November 7th, Herschel Grynszpan when this one was apprétait to make the murder against vom Rath. The only fact of having been late this day there and to be replaced by this last would have saved the life to him.

• During its imprisonment with Fresnes in 1950 Otto Abetz will write:

“Grynszpan had shot several blows from revolver at the adviser vom Rath who turned the back to him to fill the usual form with the unknown and not convened visitors. The majority of the balls were lost in the wall, but one of them reached the adviser so that it was to die two days later of this wound. This young civil servant, at this early hour, made only one replacement with the Protocol department. It was an adversary of the national socialism, it had tendency to ideas mystical and seeing even in Hitler " Antéchrist" … The search for possible accomplices did not give any results and one did not manage to establish if Grynszpan had acted of its own boss or were only one emissary. ”

Let us note that the police officer in load of the investigation for the German part was the police chief Karl Boemelburg especially come from Berlin and who will be the future section head IV of BdS in France, i.e. Gestapo.

The imprisonment

Tesnière judge accuses Herschel Grynszpan of assassination and two days later of premeditated murder.
It is imprisoned with the Prison of Fresnes.

Initially, it will be assisted by the lawyers Henri Szwarc and Vesinne-Larue, chosen by its family. Then, on the councils of the world Jewish Congress and the Federation of the Jewish companies of France, his/her uncle Solomon requires of Maître of Moro-Giafferi to ensure his defense, assisted by M^e Weill-Goudchaux and M^e Fränkel.

With Moro-Giafferi Master

Very honoured Main with Moro-Giafferi
please excuse me to write to you in German, that comes owing to the fact that I cannot write French, I ask you to accept the load of my defense at the time of my lawsuit in the hope which you will want to reach my prayer well, I have the honor… HG

It is Maître Moro-Giafferi which will ensure its defense like that of his/her accused uncle and his aunt, them, of enfreinte to the decree on the police force from abroad. The defense of Grynszpan is not facilitated by the report/ratio of the doctors psychiatrists:

Rapport medico-legal/February 2nd 1939

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“While strictly placing us on the psychiatric ground , we did not find any element pathological sufficient which can involve from the mental point of view an attenuation of its responsibility. This one must be regarded as whole. The young person Herschel Grynszpan was not in a state of insanity at the time of the act within the meaning of the article 64 of the penal code… It is a normally intelligent boy, it has even a certain smoothness and it is not particularly suggestible. He judges with much relevance certain situations, for example, when we ask him why he did not commit suicide: it is because, he says, it reflected that at our time the death of a Jew would not have raised the world, thus the goal of his protest would not have been reached. ”

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Dr Genil-Perrin, Dr. Ceillier, Dr. Heuer experts close the Civil Court of the Seine

Thanks to the call launched by the journalist American Dorothy Thompson to sensitize the opinion with the business, this one will collect funds which will be used to support the heavy financial expenses of lawyers.

Correspondence and newspaper held in prison by Herschel Grynszpan

; The 12/20/1938: Grynszpan requires of Moro-Giafferi to make him a visit. ; The 12/24/1938: Grynszpan writes that it received the visit of Weill Goudchaux and that it thus obtained the setting in bail of his uncle and his aunt. ; The 1/25/1939: it informs Moro-Giafferi that, for certain reasons, it must write a letter with an English journalist. He kindly requests to him to give him a council and to say to him what he must answer. ; The 3/3/1939: he writes on a tone humble and obséqieux that Moro-Giafferi is its first and its only defender and will remain it, and that he likes it of all his heart. He adds: I have only one request to make you, it is that you came to visit me in my prison. ; The 3/19/1939: he writes on a disillusioned tone that he awaited this day even the visit of Moro-Giafferi, which had been announced to him by Soffer and Weill Goudchaux. He hopes that he will make this visit in the week. ; The 3/26/1939: Grynszpan receives a long time announced visit of Moro-Giafferi, and speaks about it with joy in a letter of March 27th. ; The 5/8/1939: it expresses its disillusion again not to have received this day the visit of Moro-Giafferi. ; The 12/14/1939: he asks a visit by telegram urgently. ; The 1/1/1940: it sends its wishes of the new year. ; The 1/16/1940: he threatens to make a misfortune if he does not receive the visit of his lawyer. ; The 1/23/1940: it at the latest fixes an ultimatum at its lawyer for his visit, required the 10/02. ; The 1/31/1940: he still writes and asks last once a visit before the 10/02. ; The 2/5/1940: he writes that the time expires the 10/02 and threatens to change defender. ; The 2/29/1940: he threatens to make the hunger strike on March 1st. ; The 3/4/1940: he reminds Moro-Giafferi that he had promised a handing-over in bail to him. If it does not have an answer before the 15/03 it will change defender, even if he must regret it later. ; The 3/10/1940: “I declare for the last time that if the request concerning my setting in bail is not deposited, I will see myself forced to change defender. ” ; The 3/25/1940: he says that Moro-Giafferi promised to him to pass to see it with the return of its voyage, but he did not do it. ; The 4/10/1940: “If my business does not interest you any more, say it to me and I will take the necessary measures consequently. ” ; The 5/1/1940: Grynszpan writes that one considered his transfer to the Prison of Health. ; The 6/3/1940: He requests an interview because he would have a communication very important to make his lawyer.

Fresnes the 8/28/1939

With Fränkel Master

Dear Maître, I have the honor to state to you that I have just addressed the following letter to the Minister for justice:
“Sir, I know that France crosses the tragic hours. I thus allow myself to ask you to agree to authorize me to engage me like volunteer in the French Army. I would like to repurchase, by my blood, the act which I have made and to repair the trouble thus that I caused with the country which granted its hospitalité.
Recevez, Sir, Ministre… ”
I request from you, dear Maître, to agree to transmit to the press this letter to the Minister. With my anticipated thanks, please approve,… HG