France
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The painting titled “Boats on Rough Seas Near a Rocky Coast” was created in the mid-17th century and seized in June 1944 from Minna Bargeboer-Kirchheimer, who was a victim of Nazi persecution. Minna was born on October 7, 1867, in Nieheim, Germany. In 1893, Minna married Abraham Bargeboer, a Dutch Jewish cattle dealer from Winschoten,…
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The Battle of Vianden: A Testament to Courage and Resistance on November 19, 1944 The Battle of Vianden, fought on November 19, 1944, stands as a remarkable episode of defiance during World War II. Taking place in the medieval town of Vianden in northern Luxembourg, this engagement showcased the extraordinary bravery of a small group…
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Loïc Guyon originates from the South-East of France and has been residing in Ireland since 2002. 9, he was appointed as Head of the Department of French Studies of Mary Immaculate College (University of Limerick). A former President of the Irish Association for French & Francophone Studies (ADEFFI) and former President of the Irish Association…
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The Holocaust remains the darkest period in human history. Among the stories of unspeakable horror and loss, there are also tales of survival that seem almost miraculous. One such story is that of Fania Fénelon, a French Jewish musician whose extraordinary life was spared because of her involvement in a concentration camp orchestra. Her story,…
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David Olère was a Polish-French artist known primarily for his powerful and haunting artworks depicting the Holocaust. Born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1902, Olère survived internment in several concentration camps during World War II, including Auschwitz and Buchenwald. After the war, Olère settled in France and began creating art that bore witness to the atrocities…
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I have mixed feelings about the story of Marcel Pinte. I didn’t think that any child, especially a child as young as six, should ever be used in a war situation. However, I have also never lived in a wartime situation. Marcel was born on 12 April 1938 in Valenciennes, France. He was the youngest…
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During World War II, many medical advances were made. Surgery techniques such as removing dead tissue resulted in fewer amputations than at any time. The treatment of bacterial infections with penicillin or streptomycin was administered for the first time in large-scale combat. In the beginning, plasma was available as a substitute for blood. By 1945,…
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World War II was one if not the darkest era in history, Unprecedented death and destruction, and genocide. However, there were lighter moments during the six years of war. The photograph above is of French children playing with the U.S. mascot in Normandy. An American soldier and his pet fox made friends with two small…
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A diary is the most personal possession someone might have. It is a journal of their wishes, fears and often their secrets. It is therefore extremely important when a diary becomes public it is treated with the utmost dignity and respect, especially those that were written during the darkest era of mankind. Diary of Susi…
History of Sorts 