Execution
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Anne Boleyn, the second of Henry VIII’s six wives, is arguably the most famous. In 1523, she was betrothed to Henry Percy, the son of the Earl of Northumberland, but the engagement was abruptly called off. At the time, Anne was serving as a maid of honor to Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife.…
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Witold Pilecki stands as one of the most courageous and selfless figures of the 20th century. A Polish cavalry officer, intelligence agent, and resistance leader, Pilecki did what few could even imagine: he voluntarily infiltrated the Auschwitz concentration camp to gather intelligence and organize resistance from within. His mission was unparalleled in both bravery and…
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On April 16, 1947, in the shadow of Auschwitz—a name now synonymous with human suffering and industrial-scale murder—justice was served in one of the most symbolically powerful moments of the post-war reckoning. Rudolf Höss, the former commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp and one of the principal architects of the Holocaust, was executed by hanging. The…
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Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s final days were a profound confluence of moral courage, anguished introspection, and resolute conviction—a microcosm of his life-long struggle against tyranny and his steadfast commitment to Christian ethics in the face of Nazi oppression. His last days were not only defined by the physical confines of a prison cell and the grim ambiance…
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Below, you will find part of the testimony of Hans Friedrich, a 1st SS Infantry Brigade member. His words are shocking. “Try to imagine there is a ditch, with people on one side, and behind them soldiers. That was us, and we were shooting. And those who were hit fell down into the ditch. They…
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Before I start the main story, I must tell you about the wider context. About 75% of all Jews in the Netherlands were murdered during the Holocaust. The Netherlands as a country, received understandably a lot of criticism for this and to a great extent, it was justified. However, it is not as a black-and-white…
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Very few people will dispute that Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, US President. However, his moral values weren’t as pure as many people think they were. Thirty-eight Native Americans were hanged on Dec. 26, 1862, as ordered by President Abraham Lincoln, on December 6, 1862, after the 1862 Dakota…
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Most people will have heard of Sophie Scholl, but perhaps not so much about her brother Hans. Both Hans and Sophie were members of the resistance group, The White Rose. The reason I refer to Hans Scholl as a victim (in the title) rather than a resistance fighter is as follows:Except for the Jews, Roma,…
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Sabotage: a destructive or obstructive action carried out by a civilian or enemy agent to hinder a nation’s war effort. The Dutch are often criticized for not having done enough to protect their fellow citizens during World War II, especially their Jewish neighbours. To an extent, it is a justified criticism. However, this doesn’t mean…
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The 12th of May 1942, is the date that changed my life. I know some of you will find this an odd statement because it was 26 years before I was born. 12 May 1942 was the date that my paternal Grandfather died at the hand of the German occupiers, either by execution or suicide.…
History of Sorts 
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