Books
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I did post about the Ovitz family before but because it is such a remarkable story, I thought it a good idea to do another one. Before I get into the main story, I have to explain that I mean no disrespect with the title— it was how the family gained recognition. The Ovitz family…
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Initially, I set out to write a blog about Mengele’s experiments on children, especially twins, but I found myself unable to continue. The haunting images of those innocent eyes made it impossible for me to proceed with my research. What makes this all the more disturbing is a point I’ve raised before: Josef Mengele didn’t…
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Many people believe there were only a handful of concentration camps during the Holocaust, but in reality, there were over 44,000 camps and incarceration sites. The Nazis categorized camps into transit camps, extermination camps, forced labor camps, concentration camps, and prisoner-of-war camps. Despite their different classifications, the overarching purpose of most of these camps was…
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Over the years, I’ve often been asked why I write so much about the Holocaust. My answer has always been simple yet profound: because it matters. Because we must remember. Because we must never forget the depths of evil humanity can sink to. That response is truthful—but it’s not the whole story. In truth, even…
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The surname Klein has always intrigued me, likely because it’s my name. At some point, one of my ancestors altered it from Klein to de Klein for reasons that remain unknown to me. While Klein is traditionally a Jewish surname, it is also carried by others, such as Dr. Fritz Klein. When you search for…
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Salomon Cohen was the second of three children born to Joseph Cohen and Federika Gozina Godschalk. He was born on July 14, 1907, in Gorredijk, a small town in Friesland, the Netherlands. Like his father, Salomon followed the trade of a butcher. On June 10, 1936, he married Roosje de Wilde, the daughter of Gerson…
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Petronella de Meath: The Tragic Story of Ireland’s First Witch Execution Petronella de Meath, a name often overshadowed by the larger figure of Lady Alice Kyteler, stands as a poignant symbol of the brutal treatment of marginalized individuals during the medieval period. In 1324, Petronella became the first recorded person in Ireland to be executed…
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Franz Josef Engel (1898–1944) was an Austrian actor and comedian whose career and life became emblematic of the vibrant Jewish artistic culture that flourished in Europe in the early 20th century and was later decimated by the Holocaust. His story is one of creativity, survival, and profound loss—a narrative shared by many Jewish artists who…
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The Persecution of Freemasons During the Holocaust The Holocaust is widely recognized for the systematic genocide of six million Jews, along with the persecution and murder of other marginalized groups such as Roma (Gypsies), disabled individuals, Slavs, political dissidents, and homosexuals. However, lesser-known is the plight of the Freemasons (a global fraternal organization) that became…
History of Sorts 