Marianne Ferguson's Story: My Father Thought Things Would Get Better
Photograph
Image
Video
Audio
Activities
LOOK
Read the transcript of Marianne’s story. What stands out to you about her experience? What details of Marianne’s story surprised or affected you the most?
THINK
Why do you think Marianne Ferguson’s father decided that leaving Germany was the only safe option after witnessing Kristallnacht?
DO
Imagine you are a child in Marianne’s situation. How would you respond or feel if you saw the destruction and violence around your family?
Details
Date Arrived in Canada in 1939
Materials - Photograph
- Film
Historical Context
Choose one of the three levels below to match your needs.
- In this video clip, a Jewish refugee recalls her childhood experience during Kristallnacht (the Night of the Broken Glass).
- She describes how she unknowingly witnessed Nazi violence when the noise interrupting her piano practice came from a Jewish-owned store being looted and destroyed.
- She recounts seeing smashed windows, frightened customers, and the devastation faced by her family, including her parents and grandmother.
- This experience marked a turning point for her father, who realized that staying was no longer safe and decided to seek a way to leave.
- To better understand the interview, some background knowledge of antisemitism in Nazi Germany and the events leading up to the Second World War is helpful.
This is a video recording of Marianne Ferguson, a Jewish refugee from Europe during the Second World War.
In the video, Marianne recounts witnessing Kristallnacht (the Night of the Broken Glass) as a child, when Nazis looted and destroyed her family’s store.
Her testimony provides a valuable perspective on the fear, danger, and antisemitism that Jewish families faced, and shows how these experiences influenced her family’s decision to seek safety by leaving Europe.
In this audio clip, Jewish refugee Marianne Ferguson describes antisemitism, both in Poland and in Canada.
As part of their brutal rise to power, the German Nazi Party under Adolf Hitler exploited a long history of discrimination against European Jews. Laws excluded Jews from professions such as doctor or lawyer, as well as from public places.
This mounting campaign of fear erupted on November 9–10, 1938. A government-orchestrated rampage of looting, arson, murders and arrests targeted Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues across Germany. It became known as Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Glass).
Nazi violence ultimately escalated to genocide, resulting in the systematic murder of more than 6 million Jews across Europe during the Second World War. In the years leading up to the war, widespread antisemitism and the impact of the Great Depression led many political leaders to turn away Jewish refugees. Between 1933 and 1939, of the roughly 300,000 Jewish refugees who fled Germany, Canada accepted only 5,300.
In this video clip, Marianne describes anti-Jewish riots in Danzig, while reflecting upon her growing realization of what was happening, her fears, and her father’s reassurances.
- In this video clip, a Jewish refugee recalls her childhood experience during Kristallnacht (the Night of the Broken Glass).
- She describes how she unknowingly witnessed Nazi violence when the noise interrupting her piano practice came from a Jewish-owned store being looted and destroyed.
- She recounts seeing smashed windows, frightened customers, and the devastation faced by her family, including her parents and grandmother.
- This experience marked a turning point for her father, who realized that staying was no longer safe and decided to seek a way to leave.
- To better understand the interview, some background knowledge of antisemitism in Nazi Germany and the events leading up to the Second World War is helpful.
This is a video recording of Marianne Ferguson, a Jewish refugee from Europe during the Second World War.
In the video, Marianne recounts witnessing Kristallnacht (the Night of the Broken Glass) as a child, when Nazis looted and destroyed her family’s store.
Her testimony provides a valuable perspective on the fear, danger, and antisemitism that Jewish families faced, and shows how these experiences influenced her family’s decision to seek safety by leaving Europe.
In this audio clip, Jewish refugee Marianne Ferguson describes antisemitism, both in Poland and in Canada.
As part of their brutal rise to power, the German Nazi Party under Adolf Hitler exploited a long history of discrimination against European Jews. Laws excluded Jews from professions such as doctor or lawyer, as well as from public places.
This mounting campaign of fear erupted on November 9–10, 1938. A government-orchestrated rampage of looting, arson, murders and arrests targeted Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues across Germany. It became known as Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Glass).
Nazi violence ultimately escalated to genocide, resulting in the systematic murder of more than 6 million Jews across Europe during the Second World War. In the years leading up to the war, widespread antisemitism and the impact of the Great Depression led many political leaders to turn away Jewish refugees. Between 1933 and 1939, of the roughly 300,000 Jewish refugees who fled Germany, Canada accepted only 5,300.
In this video clip, Marianne describes anti-Jewish riots in Danzig, while reflecting upon her growing realization of what was happening, her fears, and her father’s reassurances.
Summary
- In this video clip, a Jewish refugee recalls her childhood experience during Kristallnacht (the Night of the Broken Glass).
- She describes how she unknowingly witnessed Nazi violence when the noise interrupting her piano practice came from a Jewish-owned store being looted and destroyed.
- She recounts seeing smashed windows, frightened customers, and the devastation faced by her family, including her parents and grandmother.
- This experience marked a turning point for her father, who realized that staying was no longer safe and decided to seek a way to leave.
- To better understand the interview, some background knowledge of antisemitism in Nazi Germany and the events leading up to the Second World War is helpful.
Essential
This is a video recording of Marianne Ferguson, a Jewish refugee from Europe during the Second World War.
In the video, Marianne recounts witnessing Kristallnacht (the Night of the Broken Glass) as a child, when Nazis looted and destroyed her family’s store.
Her testimony provides a valuable perspective on the fear, danger, and antisemitism that Jewish families faced, and shows how these experiences influenced her family’s decision to seek safety by leaving Europe.
In-Depth
In this audio clip, Jewish refugee Marianne Ferguson describes antisemitism, both in Poland and in Canada.
As part of their brutal rise to power, the German Nazi Party under Adolf Hitler exploited a long history of discrimination against European Jews. Laws excluded Jews from professions such as doctor or lawyer, as well as from public places.
This mounting campaign of fear erupted on November 9–10, 1938. A government-orchestrated rampage of looting, arson, murders and arrests targeted Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues across Germany. It became known as Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Glass).
Nazi violence ultimately escalated to genocide, resulting in the systematic murder of more than 6 million Jews across Europe during the Second World War. In the years leading up to the war, widespread antisemitism and the impact of the Great Depression led many political leaders to turn away Jewish refugees. Between 1933 and 1939, of the roughly 300,000 Jewish refugees who fled Germany, Canada accepted only 5,300.
In this video clip, Marianne describes anti-Jewish riots in Danzig, while reflecting upon her growing realization of what was happening, her fears, and her father’s reassurances.