dirkdeklein

  • The Wereth Massacre

    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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  • Metallica and the Holocaust

    When I say Metallica and the Holocaust, I really mean Lars Ulrich and the Holocaust, but since Lars is one of the founding members of one of my favourite bands, I thought it was apt to use the band’s name in the title. This is one of those “What if?” stories. The life of Lars…

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  • Hofbräuhaus am Platzl

    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…

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  • During the Second World War, the battle for the Atlantic was fought not only with torpedoes, depth charges, and convoy tactics, but also with microphones, turntables, and carefully scripted lies. One of the most sophisticated weapons in Britain’s psychological warfare arsenal was a clandestine radio station with an impressively official-sounding name: Deutscher Kurzwellensender Atlantik (“German…

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  • Auschwitz experiences.

    No one of us can ever imagine how it felt to be in Auschwitz. Except for those who survived it. Below are just some quotes from survivors Silvia Vesela -Slovak Jewish  Auschwitz Survivor “It’s a really humiliating feeling when your personality is being taken away. I don’t know whether you can understand it. You suddenly…

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  • Wimbledon 1877

    When you think of Tennis, you can’t but be thinking of Wimbledon too. Although there are many tournaments throughout the year , Wimbledon is the one tournament that every Tennis player aspires to win. But when did it all start? On July 9, 1877, the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club begins its first…

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