History
General history issues, although a lot will be about WW2
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Among the many operations planned by Nazi Germany, one of the most ambitious was Operation Sealion (Unternehmen Seelöwe), Adolf Hitler’s intended invasion of Great Britain in 1940. While it never materialized, the operation remains one of the most intriguing what-if scenarios of the war. Had it succeeded, the course of history might have taken a…
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A few years ago, I was asked to give a speech at my eldest son’s high school graduation as a representative of the Parents’ Council. I ended the speech with a quote from Margot Frank. “Times change, people change, thoughts about good and evil change, about true and false. But what always remains fast and…
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The smile of Henri Fragman , how Angelic. Those eyes tell so many stories. The story of a 5 year old who got his hands dirty playing in the mud, even though his mother told him to stay clean because she was about to serve dinner. The story of the boy who loved to play hide…
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The phrase Arbeit macht frei (German for “Work sets you free”) is one of the most infamous symbols of Nazi oppression. Displayed at the entrances of several concentration camps, including Auschwitz, this deceptive slogan falsely suggested that forced labor would lead to eventual freedom. However, one unique and subtle act of resistance can be found…
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Karl Rauscher was part of the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe. Specifically from the so-called Werftabteilung; tasked with the repair and scrapping of downed aircraft. Before the war, he had been a professional photographer During the war years, he was stationed in a large number of European countries. He took nearly 1500 photographs in those…
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One of the most despicable henchmen of he Nazi regime was Roland Freisler. The only redeeming factor he had was that he also tried high-ranking Nazis . You could be for 90% certain that if you would appear before his court you would be sentenced to death or to life imprisonment. On 20 August 1942,…
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The St. Valentine’s Day massacre—the most spectacular gangland slaying in mob history—was actually somewhat of a failure. Al Capone had arranged for Chicago mobster George “Bugs” Moran and most of his North Side Gang to be eliminated on February 14, 1929. The plan, probably devised by Capone’s henchman “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn, was simple and…
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Eva Braun is a bit of enigma. I do think that she was fully aware of what Hitler and his cronies were up to. She did first meet Hitler when she was still a teenager and would have been in awe of the man, but she did become his partner and later his wife, albeit…
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Every once in a while I come across a story which makes me immensely proud to be a native from Geleen. Those of you who read my blogs on a regular base, know that I was born in the town of Geleen in the south East of the Netherlands. Most of the Jews who lived…
History of Sorts 
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