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Rise of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933. This marked the beginning of the Nazi's rise to power. -
Dachau Concentration Camp Opens
On March 22, 1933, the first Nazi concentration camp, Dachau, was established. It was initially used to imprison political opponents but later became a model for other camps. -
Nuremberg Laws
Enacted on September 15, 1935, these laws stripped Jews of their German citizenship and prohibited marriage between Jews and non-Jews. They were a significant step in the legal persecution of Jews. -
Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass)
On November 9-10, 1938, a violent program against Jews took place across Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland. Over 200 synagogues were destroyed, and thousands of Jewish businesses were looted. -
Invasion of Poland
On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, marking the beginning of World War II. This invasion led to the establishment of ghettos and the mass deportation of Jews to concentration camps. -
Wannsee Conference
On January 20, 1942, senior Nazi officials met at the Wannsee Conference to discuss the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question," which was the plan to exterminate all Jews in Europe. -
Mass Deportations Begin
The mass deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto began on July 22, 1942. This operation, known as the Grossaktion Warschau, was initiated by the Nazis to deport Jews to the Treblinka extermination camp. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
The liberation of concentration camps began on January 27, 1945, when Soviet forces liberated Auschwitz, one of the largest and most infamous Nazi concentration camps. This date is now commemorated as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.