April 2024

  • Dachau in Words

    Dachau Concentration Camp was the first of the Nazi concentration camps established in Germany. It opened in 1933, shortly after Adolf Hitler became Chancellor, and it operated until its liberation by American troops in 1945. Situated just north of Munich, Dachau served as a model for other concentration camps that followed. Initially, Dachau held political

    Read more →

  • Hermann Fegelein’s execution took place on April 28, 1945, during the final days of World War II and the collapse of the Nazi regime. Fegelein, a high-ranking SS officer and member of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle had fallen out of favor with Hitler due to his perceived desertion and betrayal. Fegelein was arrested by the

    Read more →

  • There are not that many good Dutch rock songs, but “Strange Machine”s by The Gathering, certainly can be called a great metal track. It is the first song of The Gathering’s third album, the first to feature vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen. The song contains a passage from George Pal’s film version of H.G. Wells’s book,

    Read more →

  • Holocaust—A Solemn Cry

    “In shadows deep where nightmares dwell,A chapter etched in history’s spell.Holocaust, your bitter tale,Of anguish, loss, and skies so pale. From ghettos choked with sorrow’s breath,To camps where darkness met with death,The human spirit, tested, tried,Yet hope, a flicker, never died. In ashes rose a solemn vow,To never forget, to honor howThe brave souls fought,

    Read more →

  • Nieuwlande is a village in the Netherlands, located in the province of Drenthe, known for its unique history during World War II. During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Nieuwlande became a safe haven for Jews and others. The villagers, predominantly farmers, worked together to hide Jewish families and individuals, saving them from persecution and

    Read more →

  • I am not a Jehovah’s Witness, and although I don’t really agree with their doctrine, I respect them for their unshakable faith in what they believe in. The persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Nazi Germany is a dark chapter in history that often goes overlooked compared to other groups targeted by the regime. Despite being

    Read more →

  • The story of Emanuel Arnold Maurice Speijer reminds me a lot of that of Nikolai Vavilov, a scientist who sacrificed his life to save the seeds in the Leningrad seed bank. Emmanuel Speijer was more fortunate though. Speijer was an entomologist. Entomology is the study of insects and their relationship to humans, the environment, and

    Read more →