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1938
A World Torn Apart
Germany & The National Story
Germany annexes Austria and later the Sudetenland, as Hitler’s territorial ambitions expand and Britain and France pursue a policy of appeasement.
The Nazi regime intensifies efforts to force Jews from German economic and public life, while the Evian Conference demonstrates that few nations are willing to offer them refuge.
Kristallnacht marks a dramatic escalation as synagogues are destroyed, Jewish businesses are attacked, thousands of Jews are arrested, and state-sponsored violence erupts across Germany.
The Neuburger Family
Selma and Jacob escape Germany with their sons in March, followed later that year by Ziggy and Frieda, as the family begins scattering across the Atlantic in search of safety. Escape is no longer simply a hope—it has become a race against time.
Julius openly defies the hatred surrounding him, refusing to abandon his identity or his home. In October, he is taken by the Nazis and murdered, leaving Werner without either parent.
During Kristallnacht, the Binswangen synagogue is vandalized and Max is arrested with other Jewish men and imprisoned at Dachau, as the family and its community are torn apart.
A Moment in Time
In 1938, the Nazi regime abandoned any pretense of gradual discrimination. Germany expanded its borders, the international community largely failed to provide refuge, and antisemitic policies escalated into organized violence. Kristallnacht demonstrated that attacks on Jews were no longer isolated acts of hatred—they had become state-sponsored terror carried out in full public view.
Julius Neuburger on his motorcycle. The Star of David displayed on the fuel tank reflected his pride in his Jewish identity despite growing antisemitism. Later that year, he was murdered by the Nazis.
A Jewish-owned shop after Kristallnacht. Antisemitic graffiti depicts a caricatured Jew being directed to "Palestine," conveying the Nazi message that Jews no longer belonged in Germany. The vandalism, looting, and public defacement targeted not only Jewish property but also the dignity and place of Jews within German society.
HISTORY RECORDED HOW IT ENDED. THIS IS HOW IT BEGAN.
