World War 2
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On April 10, 1944 (some reports say April 7), two men escaped from Auschwitz: Rudolph Vrba (Vrba was born Walter Rosenberg in Topoľčany, Czechoslovakia. He took the name Rudolf Vrba in April 1944 after his escape, and changed his name legally after the war.) and Alfred Wetzler. They made contact with Slovak resistance forces and produced a substantive…
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(Originally published 29 April 2022) The title of this blog does not refer to the verse in the bible in the book of Exodus chapter 16 verse 15, “And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto…
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(Originally posted on April 9,2017) The executions carried out on April 9, 1945, at the Flossenbürg concentration camp represent one of the final acts of repression by the collapsing Nazi regime. Occurring just weeks before the end of World War II in Europe, these killings targeted prominent figures connected—directly or indirectly—to resistance against Adolf Hitler.…
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What’s in a name? My last name would indicate that I would be someone of a small stature, however with my 1.90 m (6′ 2.8″) I could not be considered small by any stretch of the imagination. The same can be said about Charles Coward one of World War II‘s biggest heroes despite his name.…
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I saw a Holocaust picture in the shape of jigsaw earlier today, which inspired me to write this poem. I don’t know of there were any jigsaws in Auschwitz, but the thought intrigued me. In a corner of barrack, cold and bare,Lay pieces of cardboard, torn with care—A jigsaw, faded, frayed with time,A scattered prayer…
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Dachau Concentration Camp was the first of the Nazi concentration camps established in Germany. It opened in 1933, shortly after Adolf Hitler became Chancellor, and it operated until its liberation by American troops in 1945. Situated just north of Munich, Dachau served as a model for other concentration camps that followed. Initially, Dachau held political…
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Buchenwald concentration camp was established in 1937. Thousands of people were imprisoned there, primarily political prisoners and those classified as “asocial.” Following Kristallnacht in November 1938, approximately 10,000 Jewish men were sent to Buchenwald, most of whom were released after about one month. By 1943, many prisoners were forced to work in nearby munitions factories…
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Gustav Mahler is one of the most famous classical music composers and conductors of all time. Yet, his music was considered as degenerate by the Nazi regime, and was therefore banned in Germany and all the occupies territories. It was not because Mahler was a bad composer but because he was Jewish. However the Nazis…
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The liberation of the Ohrdruf concentration camp on April 4, 1945, marked a significant moment in the final months of World War II. Located near the German town of Gotha, Ohrdruf was a subcamp of the larger Buchenwald concentration camp. The camp’s discovery by the advancing United States Army not only revealed the atrocities committed…
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When reflecting on the persecution of Jews and others during the Holocaust, it’s tempting to judge those who stood by and did nothing, condemning their inaction and confidently asserting, “I would have acted differently.” However, the truth is, none of us can truly know how we would respond unless faced with the same horrifying circumstances.…
History of Sorts 
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