dirkdeklein

  • Some lives are difficult to describe without resorting to words such as hero, martyr, or saint. Maximilian Kolbe is certainly one of them. Yet I use the word martyr reluctantly, not because the word is inappropriate, but because it can sometimes carry connotations that obscure the extraordinary nature of what Kolbe actually did. He did…

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  • The Buchenwald Trials

    The Buchenwald Trial was a war crime trial conducted by the United States Army as a court-martial in Dachau, then part of the American occupation zone. It took place from 11 April to 14 August 1947. On 14 August 1947, the Buchenwald main trial United States of America vs. Josias Prince of Waldeck et al. ended. All…

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  • Following the Hiroshima bombing on August 6, the Soviet declaration of war and the Nagasaki bombing on August 9, the Emperor’s speech was broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time on August 15, 1945, and did reference the atomic bombs as a reason for the surrender. The broadcast was recorded a day earlier but was broadcast…

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  • I know that in recent months I have done several sexually themed blogs. But they were all in a historical context, as this one will be. The blog will contain a depiction of the female genitalia. As the title suggests, a part of this blog will relate to medical science during the Third Reich. Thus…

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  • Throughout history, we have gone through several eras, and I believe we have now arrived at the era of hypocrisy. If we ever need a prominent example, it is the continuous praise of the merits of the musical The Greatest Showman. Some people often use the song “This is Me” to validate an inclusive society.…

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  • Education is often seen as a human right and it really should be, but so often it is a privilege taken away from many. Moshe Flinker was a teenager born in the Hague, in the Netherlands on October 9, 1926. He had a particular talent for language,he studied eight languages including Hebrew. The language he…

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  • ​Toby Gotesman Schneier is an American Expressionist artist best known for her unique ability to transform objects, people, scenes, & events into jarring and provocative works of art. Her compassion for the human condition, and tenacious belief in a higher power, are conspicuous throughout the work and noted frequently. Her art evokes a poignant sense…

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  • Barbed Wire Sunday (Stacheldrahtsonntag) refers to 13 August 1961, the day the East German government sealed the border between East and West Berlin, marking the beginning of what would become the Berlin Wall. Overnight, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) deployed thousands of soldiers, police officers, and construction workers to tear up streets, erect barricades, and…

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  • It is nearly impossible to quantify the number of people being killed during the Holocaust, I personally think the estimated number of 1.5 million children is too low. The one thing that can be quantified accurately is the value put on life. For a family of 5 it would be 37.50 guilders ,or the 2022…

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  • The Paralympic Games, a major international multi-sport event involving athletes with a range of disabilities, have a rich and inspiring history rooted in the aftermath of World War II. The origin of the Paralympics can be traced back to the efforts of Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, a neurologist at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England. Early…

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