History
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On 5 September 1944, exiled representatives of the three countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg signed the London Customs Convention, the treaty that established the Benelux. A politico-economic union and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of the three neighbouring nations. However, that is not why 5 September 1944 would become known as Dolle Dinsdag or Mad Tuesday. Many…
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Sweet angel Rudolf, you would have had 85 candles on your birthday cake today. How I wish I could have helped you blow them out. That would have been 85 candles—one for each year of your life. You weren’t given the opportunity to see five candles on your cake all those years ago. Rudolf de…
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You might think this is an odd subject in the narrative of World War II, perhaps it is. However, I was reminded of a former colleague who nearly died because he had an abscess in one of his teeth which he ignored. It had been neglected for several months, it eventually resulted in infections all…
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I will not pass judgment about the event which involved the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Enola Gay. Nothing would be easier than to judge in hindsight. I try to stick to the facts as much as possible. These facts actually started in 1937. What is often ignored in the whole debate of the dropping of the…
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In the Middle Ages, beer was the drink of the people. “Ordinary” rain and canal water was not safe to drink. Because the drink had to be heated during the production process, the barley juice contained fewer harmful bacteria than water and was therefore healthier. It is estimated that the average Frisian drank as much…
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It must have been meaningful for the US troops to find some entertainment during World War 2. We know about the USO, who hired big stars to sing or act for the troops, but there were other ways. The American Red Cross rodeo and “Wild West” show staged a rodeo in Foggia Stadium in Southern…
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On this day, Father’s Day, I can’t help but wonder about Otto Frank, seen above in conversation with Millie Perkins, the leading actress in the 1958 film about Anne. How did Mr Frank celebrate Father’s Day? I know he remarried and had a stepdaughter. However, I am sure he adored his stepdaughter—Eva Schloss—there weren’t any…
History of Sorts 