World War 2

  • In November 1942, Fritz Pfeffer joined the Frank and Van Pels families in hiding, bringing the total number of people to eight. He was a solitary figure among two families and shared a room with the adolescent Anne Frank. Fritz was also a father—he had a son, Werner, with his first wife, Vera Henriette Bythiner.

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  • This blog is not intended to pass judgment. However, when writing about the Holocaust, it’s important not to shy away from its more controversial aspects. As I mentioned at the beginning, my goal is not to judge anyone—because the truth is, I cannot say with certainty how I would have acted in a similar situation.

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  • The Arbeidsinzet (labor deployment) is the term for the forced employment of the Netherlands. It is estimated that over half a million Dutch people worked in Germany (and German-occupied territories) during the war. Some went voluntarily, but most were forced against their will. The forced labor deployment of Dutch people in Germany happened in different

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  • This blog is not to judge the women who had sex with the Nazis during World War 2. It is just to highlight the fact that it did happen, not only in brothels, but that is where I will focus on in this blog. I could have called the blog “Sleeping with the enemy” but

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  • On March 26 and 28, two transports of Slovakian Jews were registered as prisoners in the women’s camp, where they were subjected to forced labor. These were the first transports organized by Adolf Eichmann’s department IV B4 (the Jewish office) within the Reich Security Head Office (RSHA). On March 30, the first RSHA transport from

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  • Self Isolating

    During the Covid pandemic, many countries advised individuals to self-isolate if they experienced—or even suspected—they might have Covid‑19 symptoms. The recommended isolation period generally ranged from 7 to 14 days. Some say this situation is unprecedented. Yet for many, the idea of forced isolation is not new. During World War II, countless people were forced

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  • Throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, a number of British aristocrats harbored sympathies for Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime. While some saw Hitler as a bulwark against communism, others were drawn to his authoritarian rule and nationalist ideology. This essay explores key figures within the British aristocracy who expressed support for Hitler, their motivations,

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  • On March 24, 1941, the first train transport of Dutch artworks took place to the newly established art bunker in the Sint-Pietersberg. The Dutch stored approximately 800 art treasures in the Limburg art bunker, including works by Vermeer, Paulus Potter, and Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch.” The Dutch kept the artworks during the war in the

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  • During World War II, one of the most daring and ambitious prisoner-of-war (POW) escapes in history took place in the German POW camp Stalag Luft III. Known as “The Great Escape,” Allied airmen executed this remarkable event, which demonstrated extraordinary resilience, ingenuity, and bravery in their pursuit of freedom. While the escape itself was a

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  • I have often wondered how many murders have been unsolved because of World War II. And one would also have to wonder how many serial killers were active during the war years. I reckon some may have just joined the SS. However, there were several “civilian” serial killers at large during World War II. Nazi-occupied

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