July 2023
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On this day in 1919, Primo Levi was born. He was an Italian-Jewish chemist, partisan, writer, and Holocaust survivor. He has written many books and essays. He died on 11 April 1987 from injuries sustained in a fall from a third-story apartment landing. His death was initially ruled a suicide, but after some careful consideration,…
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Levie Peper was a son of Abraham Peper and Margaretha Rood. He was born in Amsterdam on 24 June 1874, and he earned his money as a hawker. On 30 March 1905, he married Johanna (Naatje) Vos in Amsterdam, who was born there on 22 April 1871 to her parents Joseph Vos and Marianna Aron…
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Starting off the Soft Side of Rock N Roll with a classic Rolling Stones track “Fool to Cry” The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Mick Taylor had just left the band and the Stones were left without a lead guitarist. The recording of Black and Blue acted as a sort of…
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In the Middle Ages, beer was the drink of the people. “Ordinary” rain and canal water was not safe to drink. Because the drink had to be heated during the production process, the barley juice contained fewer harmful bacteria than water and was therefore healthier. It is estimated that the average Frisian drank as much…
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These are testimonies of two men, one a low-ranking SS Infantry soldier, the other a member of the Hlinka Guard. The most disturbing aspect of the testimonies is not the description of the crimes committed, but the casual way of describing them. Hans Friedrich was a member of the 1st Infantry Brigade. He claimed not…
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We are running towards a wall. This wall represents the subsequent genocide. I fear that this genocide will be much bigger than the Holocaust. We are running towards a wall, not as individuals but as a group—a global group. The warning signs are there. For people like me, it is clear that we are living…
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This post will contain some thoughts and testimonies of people who lived through the Holocaust, journalists and politicians of the time. Starting with a speech from Winston Churchill. Winston Churchill on Hitler declared Führer (1934)“After all my friends, only a few hours away by air there dwells a nation of nearly 70 million of the…
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(Updated May 13, 2024) I have written about Settela before. She was also known as Anna Maria Steinbach. One of the reasons I want to highlight the sad story of Settela is because there is a chance she may be related to me, be it via marriage or one of my cousins. Yet, there is…
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Mijn interview met Joosje Asser over Vaselientje Joosje Asser is de dochter van Eli Asser, tekstschrijver en journalist Joosje’s moeder is Eefje Croiset. Na de bevrijding werd Eli Asser journalist. Hij werkte voor het Haagsch Dagblad en het weekblad Vrij Nederland. Zijn doorbraak als tekstschrijver kwam in 1953 bij de VARA, waarvoor hij de komische…
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Public Broadcasting is so important in a world where it becomes increasingly difficult to differentiate between facts and fiction. What is Public Broadcasting? According to a Cambridge dictionary definition, it is, “television and radio programs that are broadcast to provide information, advice, or entertainment to the public without trying to make a profit.” UNESCO defines…
History of Sorts 