Pre WWII
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The Holocaust refers to the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and mass murder of six million Jews and millions of others by Nazi Germany and its collaborators in the years before and during World War II. I want to focus on one element of state-sponsored persecution in this blog, the Aryanization. The Aryanization of Jewish properties was…
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I often hear the argument, “Why did the Jews not simply leave Germany when Hitler got to power?” It was just not as simple as that. Many German and Austrian Jews saw themselves as German or Austrian first, and they considered themselves to be part of society. Why would they leave their homes and their…
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Below are just a few names of athletes and artists who competed in the Olympic Games and were among those murdered during the Holocaust. In 1928, Stella Agsteribbe competed in the first-ever Olympic gymnastics competition for women. Despite placing 13th in the Dutch team selection event, she elected to compete in the group competition. The…
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Some may consider this blog contentious and controversial, but you can’t write about World War II and the Holocaust without writing about Hitler’s first book. The original title was Viereinhalb Jahre (des Kampfes) gegen Lüge, Dummheit und Feigheit, which translates to Four and a Half Years [of Struggle] Against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice. Max Amann,…
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The Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring, enacted in Nazi Germany on July 14, 1933, was a vital component of the regime’s eugenics and racial hygiene policies. The law aimed to prevent the birth of individuals deemed genetically unfit by mandating the sterilization of people with various supposed hereditary conditions. Implications and Impact…
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I know that some people may be offended by the title, and to be honest, that is their loss. I am simply using the terminology used in the 1930s and 1940s. The experiences of lesbians in Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, were complex and multifaceted, shaped by broader Nazi ideologies and policies on sexuality,…
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Since the initial awards banquet on May 16, 1929, in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel’s Blossom Room, over 3,000 statuettes have been presented. Yes, it is about the Oscars, on May 16 1929 the first Academy Awards were held, and the very first Best Actor award went to Emil Jannings. Emil Jannings was a theater actor…
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The book burning in Germany on May 10, 1933, was a significant event orchestrated by the Nazi regime. It took place largely in Berlin, but similar events occurred in other cities across Germany. The Nazis, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, organized the burning of books deemed “un-German,” including those written by Jewish, communist, socialist,…
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It is easy to say that all Germans in the Third Reich were bad , but that would be a great mistake to make. The majority weren’t bad, and many were victims like so many others. Yes, many had become complacent and were seduced by the promises made by Hitler, However, not everyone subscribed to…
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On 12 December 1941, five days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, Adolf Hitler made a revealing speech in Berlin to Nazi leaders. “Bezüglich der Judenfrage ist der Führer entschlossen, reinen Tisch zu machen. Er hat den Juden prophezeit, daß, wenn sie noch einmal einen Weltkrieg herbeiführen würden, sie dabei ihre Vernichtung erleben würden.…
History of Sorts 