Amsterdam

  • Not every evil act was committed by a weapon or by sending people to the gas chamber. Some evil acts were much more subtle. Herman Heukels was a photographer and a member of the NSB, the Dutch Nazi party, Hermans’ weapon was a camera. He took pictures of several raids. His most famous pictures are…

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  • Hans Jack Tannenberg, a boy with a teddy bear. That is basically one of the few things I know about him. I probably could find out more if I would do some more research. But, I decided not to because I shouldn’t have to. This boy should have become a man, a father ,a grandfather…

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  • 1.5 Million Stars

    I recently read a scientific report about the revised Extinctions and Radii for 1.5 Million Stars, which was observed by APOGEE, GALAH, and RAVE surveys. I am not sure what those three terms mean. But I was intrigued by the number of 1.5 million. 1.5 million is the estimated number of children who were murdered…

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  • They say that music soothes the savage beast, But it can also bring joy and transport you back to a better time in your life. Benny Behr must have known this because he tried to keep up the spirits by playing music. Benny was Jewish and married to a non-Jewish woman, Wien Bouwina Sijtina Havinga.…

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  • On 27 February 1941, German occupation authorities implemented a regulation in the Netherlands that prohibited Jews from donating blood. Although seemingly administrative or medical in nature, this measure formed part of a broader racial policy imposed under Nazi rule. The exclusion illustrates how ideology penetrated even humanitarian institutions and how discrimination became normalized through bureaucratic…

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  • On February 25, 1941, the Dutch decided that enough was enough. No longer would they stand idly by to see the treatment of their Jewish neighbors. The first 8 months of the Nazi occupation did not see that much change to the Dutch. The changes were all gradual. However, there were increased tensions. The WA(Weerbaarheidsafdeling-defense…

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  • February Raids Amsterdam

    On 19 February 1941, the German Grüne Polizei stormed into the Koco ice cream salon in the Van Woustraat. In the fight that ensued, several police officers were wounded. The Nazi authorities did not put up with the attack on their police officers. To end the unrest, they decided to hold a raid the weekend…

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  • Anne and Margot Frank’s final days were marked by extreme suffering, starvation, and disease in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp during the winter of 1944–1945. Their exact date of death is unknown; however, there is a wide belief that both sisters perished in February or March 1945, just weeks before British forces liberated the camp on…

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  • Before delving into the story of Adriana Valkenburg, it’s important to understand the context of prostitution in the Netherlands. While prostitution has historically been tolerated in the country, it was not officially recognized as a legal profession until 1988. In the Netherlands, prostitution is legal and regulated, with sex work recognized as a legitimate profession.…

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  • The Dutch comedy duo Snip en Snap, consisting of Willy Walden and Piet Muijselaar, became one of the most iconic entertainment acts in the Netherlands during the mid-20th century. Their vaudeville-style performances, rich in humor, music, and satire, were particularly significant during World War II. In a time of immense hardship and oppression, Snip en…

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