Kristallnacht (; ) or Reichskristallnacht [], also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, Reichspogromnacht [] or simply Pogromnacht , and Novemberpogrome , was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA 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.