Herschel Grynszpan was a refugee of Polish-Jewish descent. He was born and grew up in Germany and was accused of assassinating the German diplomat Ernst vom Rath. Herschel was raised in a middle-class family that had migrated from Poland to Germany in 1911. While in school, he was recognized as an exceptionally bright student; however, his teachers labeled him as lazy because he refused to engage with the curriculum. He left school at 14 years old. He later claimed that his teachers and peers discriminated against him due to his background as an ‘Eastern Jew.’ Herschel subsequently relocated to Belgium and later entered Paris without legal authorization. During the late 1930s, numerous Polish Jews, including Herschel’s relatives, encountered severe hardships in Germany under the Nazi regime. In November 1938, Herschel resolved to kill the German ambassador in France to seek retribution for the oppressed Jews in Germany. Ultimately, he ended up shooting Ernst vom Rath, a lower-ranking official at the Embassy. Herschel was imprisoned in Paris before being extradited to Germany. What ultimately happened to him remains a mystery. On May 8, 1960, Herschel Grynszpan was officially declared dead in absentia.
Childhood & Early Life
Herschel Grynszpan was born on March 28, 1921, in Hanover, which was part of The Weimar Republic. His family was part of the Jewish community that migrated from Poland to Germany. In 1911, Herschel’s parents emigrated to Germany in search of better job prospects.
His father operated a tailoring business, and the family lived a rather simple life. Herschel was the youngest of six siblings, though only three of them survived past childhood.
Despite being born in Germany, Herschel was not granted German citizenship due to the ‘German Citizenship Law’ of 1913. He faced discrimination, as racism was widespread in Germany, particularly against Polish Jews. At school, Herschel experienced bullying and was labeled an ‘Ostjuden’ (Eastern Jew). The German Jewish community prioritized their status, viewing themselves as Germans first and Jews second.
Herschel was a bright student, but his teachers considered him unmotivated because he did not strive to do well in his studies. Frustrated by the bullying and discrimination, he left school at the age of 14. He later expressed that he believed his teachers disliked him due to his status as an Eastern Jew.
He grew into a proud Jew, more religious than his parents, and was quick to resort to violence in defense of his faith. His quick temper frequently got him into trouble at school before he chose to drop out.
Concerned about him, his parents sought financial assistance from the Jewish community in Hanover and sent him to Frankfurt, where he studied the Torah and Hebrew. After 11 months, he returned to Hanover and attempted to immigrate to Palestine, but the authorities denied his request on account of his age. Subsequently, his parents decided he should go to Paris to stay with his uncle Abraham.
Herschel then acquired a Polish passport and sought permission to travel to Belgium. However, residing in Belgium was not his goal. In September 1936, he entered France without authorization.
Years in Paris
Herschel resided in a Yiddish-speaking community comprised of Polish Orthodox Jews. During his time in Paris, he only acquired a handful of French words. He spent his days reciting poems in Yiddish and enjoyed a carefree lifestyle. He strolled through the streets of Paris without concern for his career or future. He delighted in visiting coffeehouses and loved watching films in theaters. He also attempted to obtain legal residency in France, which was necessary for him to study or work there. However, all his applications were denied by French authorities.
By April 1937, his re-entry permit for Germany had lapsed. His Polish passport expired in January 1938. Then, in March 1938, the Polish government declared that Polish citizens residing outside of Poland for over five years would lose their Polish citizenship. As a result, Herschel found himself stateless. With no alternatives, he had no choice but to continue living in Paris illegally.
His only source of income was his uncle, who was financially struggling. His uncle often encouraged him to seek employment. However, Herschel was aware that taking a job would expose him as an illegal immigrant, leading to his arrest. Starting in October 1938, French authorities launched a vigorous campaign to deport illegal immigrants back to their home countries. Herschel understood that his time in Paris was nearing its end.
The German-Jewish Trouble & Assassination
While hiding from the police in Paris, Herschel Grynszpan’s family in Hanover was enduring hardships. His father’s business faced significant losses, and his brothers were unemployed, pushing the family into dire poverty. The Polish government had also announced the revocation of citizenship for Polish nationals living abroad for over five years. Compounding the crisis, the German government’s treatment of Polish Jews was becoming increasingly oppressive. In October 1938, the Gestapo received orders to expel all Polish Jews from Germany back to Poland.
On their journey back to Poland, Herschel’s family and other Polish Jews endured terrible living conditions. Many Polish Jews who attempted to return to Germany were shot. The Polish government denied repatriation to these individuals, as they were no longer official citizens of Poland. Additionally, Poland threatened to expel Germans residing within its borders. This situation left the distressed immigrants stranded at the border for an extended period.
Meanwhile, Herschel was filled with rage, fully aware of the calamity affecting both Poland and Germany. He requested his uncle to send financial assistance to his family, but his uncle declined. In desperation, he stole 300 francs from his uncle and purchased a revolver along with a box of 25 bullets from a local store in Paris.
Herschel’s intention was to assassinate the German ambassador, Count Johannes von Welczeck. On November 7, 1938, he penned a farewell note to his parents, which he tucked into his pocket. He then entered the German Embassy and walked past Count Johannes von Welczeck without recognizing him. Approaching the clerk at the front desk, he claimed to be a German spy bearing an important document.
The clerk summoned Ernst vom Rath, a junior official at the Embassy, to meet Herschel. Herschel shot Ernst vom Rath five times in the abdomen, declaring that he had acted on behalf of persecuted Jews.
Imprisonment & Death
Herschel Grynszpan made no efforts to flee. He was captured by authorities and held in ‘Fresnes Prison’ in Paris from 1938 until 1940. His actions were viewed as courageous by leftists and liberals globally. He also participated in numerous interviews while imprisoned. Donations were collected worldwide to ensure Herschel received a strong legal defense. His trial was still in progress when Germany invaded France during the ‘Second World War’ in 1940. German forces were instructed to seize Herschel, but he remained in the custody of the French government. Ultimately, he was taken by German soldiers in July 1940. Initially, he was held in a prison in Berlin before being transferred to a concentration camp. By this time, rumors regarding Herschel’s homosexual relationship with the late Ernst vom Rath had emerged. The Nazi regime feared that if these claims were confirmed, it would be a significant embarrassment for them. This, along with the United States’ assault on Germany, led to the indefinite postponement of the trial. After September 1942, no one knew where Herschel was. Many people speculated that he perished in a concentration camp. Some even suggested that he relocated to Paris and established a family there. On May 8, 1960, Herschel Grynszpan was declared dead in absentia.
Net worth of Herschel Grynszpan
The estimated net worth of Herschel Grynszpan is about $2 million.