History
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During the Second World War, one out of every five residents in Aalten—a town in the Achterhoek, the “back corner” of the eastern Netherlands near the German border—was in hiding. The Nazi occupiers actively hunted for anyone on the run, particularly Jewish citizens and young men avoiding forced labor camps. Not even the local churches…
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Medical Doctors generally work closely together with Pharmacists. During the Holocaust this was not much different. Victor Capesius was born to a doctor of German descent in 1907, in a part of Romania which then belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He studied in Romania and Vienna where, in 1933, he completed his doctorate in pharmacy.…
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The Netherlands Union (Nederlandsche Unie) was a Dutch political movement during the German occupation of the Netherlands in the Second World War. It was founded by a trio consisting of Louis Einthoven (Chief Commissioner of Police in Rotterdam), Johannes Linthorst Homan (Queen’s Commissioner in the Province of Groningen), and Jan de Quay (Government Commissioner for…
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This is a slightly less usual blog, it is a funny story. I don’t know it’s origin, but I hope you will enjoy it. Bob Hill and his new wife, Betty, are vacationing in Europe, near Transylvania. They re driving in a rental car along a rather deserted highway. It is late, raining very hard…
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This house was an orphanage for Jewish girls from 1861 to 1943.In 1889 the orphanage was extended to include the neighbouring house.On 10 February 1943, the girls and their attendants weredeported to the extermination camp Sobibor. They were supposed to have been deported before, but due to a scarlet fever outbreak on 4 July 1942,…
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A Glimmer of Peace In fields where battles once did rage,A quiet dawn, a turning page,Whispers of hope, a gentle breeze,Murmur through the ancient trees. Children’s laughter fills the air,Dreams reborn from deep despair,Hands once clenched in wrath and strife,Now reach out to embrace life. A mother’s song, a father’s cheer,Echoes of a future clear,Where…
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(Re-post from 16 July 2025) In the West, when we think about World War II, we predominantly think about the war against the Nazis. However, there were quite a large number of Europeans who were fighting the Japanese in the Pacific. We also often forget that the Japanese Imperial Army, Navy, and Air Force were…
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It always amazes me how easy it was for some Europeans to give up their Jewish neighbours. I know it’s easy for me to say that in retrospect, because I don’t know how I would have reacted if put in that situation. But I have a feeling I would have spoken out about it the…
History of Sorts 