Post WWII
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Vidal Sassoon is a name synonymous with revolutionary hairstyling, but his lesser-known past as an anti-fascist activist with the 43 Group reveals another dimension of his life. Born in 1928 in Hammersmith, London, to Jewish parents of Greek and Ukrainian descent, Sassoon grew up in the impoverished East End. His early life was marked by…
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At first glance the picture appears to be quite innocent. A picture of a Bavarian family. However, when you look a bit close you will recognize Heinrich Himmler, in the middle his wife Margarete, and on the left their daughter Gudrun. Gudrun Burwitz (1929–2018) was born on August 8, 1929, Gudrun was deeply attached to…
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For a long time in Dutch historiography and discourse, the entirety of the Indonesian War of Independence was referred to by the euphemistic term politionele acties, as used by the government at the time. In the Netherlands, the prevailing impression was that there had only been two distinct, short-term police actions intended to restore Dutch…
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The Bermuda Triangle’s reputation as a boat and plane-devouring chasm was first sealed in December 1945, when a group of five U.S. Navy Avenger torpedo bombers known as “Flight 19” vanished in the Atlantic off the coast of Florida. No sign of the Avengers was ever found, and a Navy seaplane sent to rescue them…
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In November 1945, the Jewish community of Tripolitania — the northwestern region of Libya centered around Tripoli — faced one of the most brutal anti-Jewish outbreaks in North Africa’s modern history. Over a few chaotic days, more than a hundred Jews were murdered, synagogues burned, and centuries of coexistence torn apart. The violence became known…
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How do you cope when you find out that your father was one of the most evil men in history, and worse, your Godfather was the most evil man known to humanity? Martin Adolf Bormann (14 April 1930 in Grünwald—11 March 2013 (aged 82) in Herdecke) was a German theologian and laicized Roman Catholic priest. He…
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Bridget Dowling was born on 3 July 1891 in Dublin. She grew up at Flemings Place, near Mespil Road. She was still in her teens when she attended the 1909 RDS Dublin Horse Show and met Adolf Hitler’s half-brother, Alois Hitler, Jr. Alois had pretended to be a wealthy hotelier who was touring Europe, but…
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Moffenmeid is a designation for women who had relationships with German soldiers during the occupation of the Netherlands during World War II, or there was suspicion of their doing so. The word mof is a swear word for German—the English equivalent is Kraut. The women in question were sometimes pro-German or prostitutes, but often, they…
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