the Netherlands
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I came across a website which a list of approximately 2,000 unpaid or unclaimed life insurance policies of mainly Dutch Jewish victims of the Holocaust. It was so profoundly sad to see so many families on that list. So much unfulfilled potential, it was heartbreaking. I looked for a name I could somehow find a…
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Approximately 105,000 OF THE 140,000 Jews in the Netherlands were murdered during the Holocaust. The attempt to erase the Jews from the country did not happen overnight ,it was a gradual process. Every few weeks new measures were introduced to make the life for the Dutch Jews as hard as possible. Some of these measures…
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When you look at the above picture you may think there is nothing extraordinary about it. However when you delve only slightly into the history of the picture you quickly how realize how amazing the picture really is. The picture is of a Jewish male choir of the Great Synagogue in Amsterdam, it was taken…
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Dear Anne, You don’t know me, but I know you. In fact, nearly everyone knows you, and yet no one really knows you. We know you through the personal stories you wrote in your diary. We see each word, each letter and each paragraph, but we don’t see your hopes, your fears or your anxiety.…
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In many countries around the globe people are being advised to self isolate when they have or think they may have symptoms of the Covid 19 infection. The recommended period vary between 7 and 14 days. Many people say this has never happened before.However for many this was a reality due to the virus created…
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This is something I said before. I am Dutch and I am proud to be Dutch. One of the reasons why I am a proud Dutch man is because I was taught to face up to the mistakes my country made in the past. Although there were many brave Dutch men and women who fought…
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The picture above is taken from a local Dutch newspaper. It is a small article from April 30,1942. Although it is a small notification it gives a wealth of information. The article is about Klara(or Clara) Borstel-Engelsman, born in Amsterdam the piece announces her 100th birthday and how it is celebrated. It tells us she…
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No one in their right mind would argue that it was the Germans who are responsible for the Holocaust. However when it comes to the Holocaust there are a lot more countries that can’t say they had no blame. They may not have started it but they did very little to stop it. It suited…
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Harriëtte Zeeman just another teenager. But she was more then that. She was someones’s daughter. She was someone’s sister. She was someone’s friend. She was someone’s student. She was someone’s neighbor. She was someone who annoyed people. She was someone who made people laugh. She was someone born in Amsterdam. She was someone’s enemy. She…
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It is often asked “Why did the people not stand up against the Nazi regime?” I have even asked this question, especially when it came to me fellow Dutchmen. But it is easy to judge in hindsight. I wonder how many who asked that question would have stood up against the regime(and I include myself),…
History of Sorts 
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