February 2026
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The picture is of a vacant building in the town center of Geleen in the Netherlands. The building wasn’t always empty. It used to be a clothes shop called “Modehuis” or Fashion House. It was a shop that catered more for the older ladies, my mother liked to shop there A few doors next to
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Paedagogium Achisomog was an institution for Jewish children with intellectual disabilities. The institution was opened in 1925 and was a subsidiary of the Apeldoornsche Bosch. At Paedagogium Achisomog about 75 children lived in small groups. On the night of 21 to 22 January 1943, Paedagogium Achisomog was evacuated together with the Apeldoornsche Bosch. On 10
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There will be only a few people who may not have heard of ABBA. The Swedish band shot to world fame in 1974 after winning the Eurovision Song Contest on 9 April 1974 with their song ‘Waterloo.” However, not all of them were born in Sweden. Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad was born on 15 November 1945
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On December 16, 1944, the Germans launched their last great offensive against the Western Allies through the Ardennes Forest of eastern Belgium. It would become known as the Battle of the Bulge. Three German Armies attacked a long a 50-mile front. American troops manning the line were thrown into confusion. Even the high command was
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In the corner, worn and scuffed, it lay,A silent witness to a world gone gray.Its leather cracked, its latches weak,It held the echoes no voice could speak. Ingrid de Vries, a child so small,Born in Amsterdam, one crisp fall.Her laughter danced in the autumn air,A fleeting joy—beyond despair. Her suitcase—packed with careful hands,By those who
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I want to begin by clarifying that the photographs featured in this blog do not depict the actual victims. However, this is precisely why the crime has been largely forgotten—it was concealed in secrecy, both by the perpetrators and the victims. While exact figures are unavailable, it is estimated that 15% of all Jewish children
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Louisa Gould was a remarkable woman whose bravery and selflessness during World War II exemplify the resilience of the human spirit. As a resident of Jersey in the Channel Islands, she lived through the German occupation from 1940 to 1945. Despite the dangers she faced, Gould risked her life to protect others, ultimately paying the
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The title of this blog alludes to a brief history, although it will probably be a long read and includes a 15-minute watch and listen. However, in the greater scheme of things and—taking into consideration the long and complex history of anti-Semitism—this blog is a relatively brief history. Anti-Semitism is throughout history. I’ve attached at
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On February 24, 1920, the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl is where Adolf Hitler made a speech founding the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or the Nazi party. It is a beer hall in the centre of Munich. I visited the place June 2023. To my surprise there was nothing in the hall indicating the event that
History of Sorts 