What is Aktionen in the Holocaust?

Answer 1

This is merely the German word for actions, in the sense of special military or defense Tasks or projects, not really Battles or wars. It could refer to specific actions such as the Crystal Night of l938, the opening round of the Holocaust. The SS went to town and hit virtually every synagogue and many ancillary structures such as Jewish Community centers, in major cities in Germany, not only Berlin. the aim to harrass, and later kill the JEWS was paramount. So Aktionen would be a specific target- for example an attack on a Jewish Community center in the central part of Berlin. The SS used camouflaged code names to mask their intentions- Sonder Behandlung- lit, Special Handling- actually meant abuse and torture of prisoners!