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Histoirevivante 22-04-2016 8 HISTOIRE VIVANTE LA LIBERTÉ VENDREDI 22 AVRIL 2016 Le mystérieux crime de la Nuit de cristal III E REICH • Selon les nazis, le pogrom de novembre 1938 a été déclenché par le meurtre d’un diplomate allemand à Paris. Geste spontané, complot juif, affaire de mœurs ou coup monté? Corinne Chaponnière a mené l’enquête. PROPOS RECUEILLIS PAR PASCAL FLEURY Prémices de la Shoah, la Nuit de cristal a été impitoyable. En quelques heures, entre le 9 et le 10 no - vembre 1938, 7500 commerces juifs ont été saccagés dans toute l’Allemagne nazie, en Autriche et dans les Sudètes, près de 300 sy - nagogues ont été incendiées et une centaine de juifs assassinés. Les jours qui ont suivi, 30 000 juifs ont été déportés vers des camps de concentration. Ces violences ont été expli - quées par les nazis comme étant des représailles populaires spon - tanées après le meurtre, deux jours plus tôt à Paris, de l’attaché d’ambassade Ernst vom Rath par un jeune juif polonais de 17 ans, Herschel Grynszpan. L’événe - ment a fait l’objet de nombreuses hypothèses. S’agissait-il du geste désespéré d’un juif sans papiers, d’un complot juif, d’une affaire privée ou d’un coup monté par la Gestapo pour justifier le pogrom? La journaliste Corinne Chapon - nière a investigué durant trois ans Des milliers de commerces juifs ont été saccagés par des sections d’assaut nazies lors de la Nuit de cristal. La propagande a prétendu qu’il s’agissait de représailles pour en savoir plus. Son enquête populaires en réaction au meurtre du diplomate Ernst vom Rath (en haut) par le juif Herschel Grynszpan (en bas). MÉMORIAL DE LA SHOAH/ BUNDESARCHIV/DR détaillée, récemment publiée 1, se lit comme un polar. sonnel: Grynszpan avait appris tendu que Grynszpan était l’ins - En vous intéressant aux protago - ratoire de Grynszpan. S’il avait ble. Ils comptaient organiser un Que s’est-il effectivement passé quelques jours auparavant que trument d’un complot de «la jui - nistes, vous avez remarqué que le vraiment voulu commettre un énorme procès de propagande, et le 7 novembre 1938 à Paris? ses parents, son frère et sa sœur verie internationale», selon leur crime a aussi pu être commis pour acte d’éclat politique, il ne se se - voilà qu’ils découvraient que leur Corinne Chaponnière: On dis - avaient été brutalement expulsés terminologie antisémite. Plus des raisons personnelles... rait pas contenté de tirer sur un héros national, enterré en grande pose de faits indiscutables: un de Hanovre vers la frontière po - tard, ils ont ajouté que ces coups C’est la thèse de la relation ho - attaché d’ambassade, mais sur pompe en présence d’Hitler, était jeune homme de confession lonaise, comme beaucoup de de feu avaient donné le coup mosexuelle entre l’assassin et sa l’ambassadeur lui-même – qu’il a un homosexuel! Plus tard, Grynsz - juive et d’origine polonaise, mais juifs polonais. Il avait aussi lu d’envoi de la Seconde Guerre victime. La rumeur a vite couru à d’ailleurs croisé dans la cour. pan s’est secrètement rétracté, ayant passé sa jeunesse en Alle - dans les journaux yiddish que les mondiale. Paris. Un texte daté du 12 décem - Sans aller jusqu’à imaginer une laissant un mot dans la doublure magne, est entré à 9 h30 du ma - conditions de détention de ces bre et longtemps at - idylle contrariée, on peut se dou - de sa veste, vraisemblablement tin dans l’ambassade d’Alle - 12 000 à 18 000 exilés polonais – «Pour les nazis, tribué par erreur à ter que Grynszpan savait que le pour se disculper alors qu’il savait magne, à la rue de Lille à Paris. selon les sources – étaient déplo - André Gide – lui- diplomate était homosexuel. Il a qu’il allait mourir. Mon hypothèse On ne sait pas exactement qui rables. En fait, ni l’Allemagne, ni ce devait être même homosexuel – pu vouloir marchander ses est qu’il ne pouvait supporter Herschel Grynszpan a demandé la Pologne, ne les voulaient. Evi - en témoigne. Rédigé charmes ou des prestations de l’idée de rester dans l’histoire du à la concierge, mais il a été reçu demment, l’acte de vengeance de un casus belli par son amie et voi - rabatteur contre divers services. peuple juif comme un homo - dans le bureau d’Ernst vom Rath, ce jeune juif aurait été vite oublié justifiant sine de palier Maria Plusieurs témoins ont évoqué sexuel qui, pour des raisons per - qui venait d’être nommé troi - s’il n’avait été exploité par les na - Van Rysselberghe, il plus tard une demande de visa sonnelles ou vénales, aurait dé - sième conseiller d’ambassade zis comme l’événement déclen - le pogrom» insinue que le motif pour les Etats-Unis pour ses pa - clenché la Nuit de cristal. deux jours plus tôt. Grynszpan a cheur de la Nuit de cristal. réel du crime serait rents et pour lui, une intercession tiré cinq coups de revolver sur le Les Allemands ont-ils pu faire la passionnel. Il existe effective - pour que sa famille ne soit pas Qu’est-il advenu de l’inculpé diplomate de 29 ans, puis s’est Ce récit ne vous a pas convaincue. preuve d’un complot juif à Paris? ment une forte présomption que expulsée d’Allemagne ou un ar - Herschel Grynszpan? laissé arrêter sur place par la po - En enquêtant, vous avez découvert Ils ont ratissé tout le milieu que vom Rath était homosexuel. rangement de sa propre situation Il a très certainement été éliminé lice. Ces informations ont été ré - une autre version de l’affaire... fréquentait l’inculpé, ont cher - L’avocat de Grynszpan, Vincent de clandestin en France. par les nazis en février ou mars coltées par le juge d’instruction. C’est la thèse allemande. Alors ché des complices mais n’ont ja - de Moro-Giafferi, ne se serait pas 1945. Il est considéré aujourd’hui que la police française se conten - mais pu réunir de preuves d’un aventuré dans pareille ligne de Cette affaire d’homosexualité comme un héros juif et a inspiré La première hypothèse qui tait de la version du «coup complot. Toutefois, comme défense sans en être sûr. L’in - a finalement empêché la tenue plusieurs romans, entre réalité et s’échafaude aussitôt, c’est celle d’éclat» de l’inculpé, en se basant Grynszpan avait lui-même dé - culpé, pour sa part, a confié à d’un procès en Allemagne... fiction, aux Etats-Unis et en Alle - du coup d’éclat par vengeance? sur une enquête routinière, les claré qu’il vengeait son peuple, plusieurs reprises qu’il fréquen - Oui. En été 1940, après son extra - magne. Il a aussi fait l’objet d’un C’est l’explication de l’inculpé Allemands ont tout fait pour ten - cela leur a suffi pour accuser tous tait des brasseries gays. dition en Allemagne, Herschel documentaire en 2008, lors des lui-même. Le jeune Herschel a ter de démontrer que ce crime les juifs au nom d’un seul. Grynszpan a déclaré que le vrai 70 ans de la Nuit de cristal. Le su - déclaré qu’il voulait faire un n’était pas dirigé contre un Alle - Lorsque Grynszpan a été extradé Cette thèse homosexuelle a été motif de son acte était lié à une re - jet se prêterait bien pour une coup d’éclat pour alerter le mand en particulier, mais contre en Allemagne et que son procès a bien cachée. Selon vous, les lation homosexuelle avec la vic - pièce de théâtre ou un film de fic - monde des persécutions dont toute l’Allemagne. Pour les nazis, été préparé, les nazis ont conti - protagonistes se connaissaient-ils? time. Sur le plan tactique, on com - tion... J’en rêverais! I étaient victimes les juifs en Alle - ce devait être un casus belli justi - nué de chercher à en faire l’ins - Ce qui me convainc qu’ils se prend que cette version mettait les 1 «Les quatre coups de la Nuit de cristal», magne. S’ajoute un élément per - fiant le pogrom. Ils ont alors pré - trument d’un complot juif. connaissaient, c’est le mode opé - nazis dans une situation impossi - C. Chaponnière, Ed. Albin Michel, 2015 . «Un coup monté des nazis n’est pas exclu» La propagande nazie avait voulu faire agissaient en rétorsion de l’assassinat très convoité à Paris alors que Goeb - l’aidant financièrement à acquérir une passer la Nuit de cristal pour une ex - d’Ernst vom Rath à Paris. Cela faisait bels savait déjà en février que vom Rath arme. Il lui aurait soufflé que son «coup plosion populaire spontanée contre le partie de l’opération», souligne Co - était homosexuel et qu’il était de sur - d’éclat» ferait de lui un héros, lui per - meurtre du diplomate Ernst vom Rath. rinne Chaponnière. croît gravement malade. Il sortait d’ail - mettant de dénoncer les persécutions Les historiens ont démontré de longue L’attentat ayant servi de prétexte au leurs de six mois de sanatorium. «Tous contre les juifs et contre ses parents. date que le pogrom avait été en fait or - déclenchement de la Nuit de cristal, se ces éléments laissent supposer que les «Dans ces conditions, le coup chestré par les plus hautes sphères na - pose la question d’un éventuel coup Allemands n’ont pas tout dit sur cette monté nazi a une certaine vraisem - zies, avec l’aval d’Adolf Hitler et l’orga - monté. «Il aurait été une injure à l’his - affaire», commente l’auteur.
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