World War 2
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The city of Nijmegen, located in the Netherlands near the German border, became an unintended victim of war on February 22, 1944, when American bombers mistakenly targeted it during an Allied air raid. This tragic event resulted in the deaths of nearly 800 civilians and widespread destruction of the city’s historic center. The bombing remains
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The photograph above is of an Opel Blitz troops transporter; Opel is one of the companies that provided the Nazi regime with equipment but also with funding. But Opel was not the only company. Funding for the Nazis had already started in the early 1930s. Nineteen representatives of industry, finance, and agriculture signed a petition
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Paragraph 175 was a provision of the German Criminal Code that criminalized male homosexual acts. Introduced in 1871 and remaining in some form until 1994, this law had a profound impact on the lives of LGBT individuals in Germany. It led to widespread persecution, particularly under the Nazi regime, and its effects persisted through much
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On February 19, 1942, Winnipeg, the capital city of Manitoba, Canada, was “invaded” by Nazi troops. By 5:30 a.m., Nazi broadcasts were being transmitted from a local radio station that had been seized. At 7:00 a.m., air raid sirens sounded, and a citywide blackout was ordered. By 9:30 a.m., the defenders of Winnipeg had “surrendered”
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Of all the incredible stories to emerge from World War II, this is one of my favorites—a tale of defiance, resilience, and an unmistakable “up yours” to tyranny. While the service itself undoubtedly maintained its deep religious significance, I can’t help but imagine a few knowing smiles afterward. The photograph above captures a Jewish service
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Without intending to boast too much about my fellow Dutch people, it is widely known that the Dutch are inventive and creative. These qualities were especially evident during World War II, particularly in the final months of the war. As a result of the failed Operation Market Garden, the northern provinces endured a brutal winter
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The Holocaust remains the darkest chapter in human history, marked by unimaginable atrocities and suffering. While much attention was given to the physical brutality inflicted upon millions of Jews and other targeted groups, the psychological terror experienced during this period was equally devastating. The Nazi regime systematically employed psychological warfare to break the spirits of
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When we think of stealth bombers, our minds often jump to more recent aircraft, such as the F-117 Nighthawk (introduced in 1981) or the B-2 Spirit (introduced in 1989). However, the concept of stealth bombers dates back much earlier, to 1942, when the Horten brothers designed the first stealth aircraft The Horten Ho 229: The
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On February 11, 1941, the NSB member Hendrik Koot was injured fatally during a brawl at Waterlooplein. The official reports on the incident remained lost for decades. KootHendrik Koot was a member of the Weerafdeling (WA), the paramilitary wing of the NSB. Since late 1940, WA members had been intimidating and assaulting Jewish residents of
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The name Hermine Santrouschitz may not be widely recognized, but the name Miep Gies is known around the world—forever linked to a teenage diarist named Anne Frank. Miep Gies, born Hermine Santrouschitz, would have celebrated her 116th birthday yesterday. Though she didn’t reach that milestone, she lived to be 100—a remarkable life devoted to courage
History of Sorts 