Germany
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Since World War II, the swastika has been inseparably associated with German dictator Adolf Hitler and the crimes committed by his Nazi regime. Today, the symbol is rarely seen in public, but before Hitler’s rise to power, swastikas were a familiar and widely accepted part of everyday life. Long before their appropriation by the Nazis,…
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The Rosenstrasse protest was a remarkable act of nonviolent resistance that took place in Nazi Germany during World War II. Unlike many other forms of opposition to the Nazi regime, this protest was initiated by ordinary German women, making it a unique and significant event in the history of civil resistance. Taking place in Berlin…
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This is just my opinion and there is no scientific research done on this, at least not as far as I am aware, but I think the Holocaust can be categorized as organized randomness. On a large scale the industrialized murder of millions was organized efficiently, however on smaller scales the treatment of mainly Jews,…
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On 3 October 1934, George van den Bergh, one of the initiators of the Jewish Work Village, stated, “Then perhaps a simple stone will be placed here with the words ‘Here stood the Jewish Work Village Nieuwesluis.’ Then may all passers-by […] behold that stone with reverence,” after that, James McDonald, High Commissioner of the…
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Since the initial awards banquet on May 16, 1929, in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel’s Blossom Room, over 3,000 statuettes have been presented. Yes, it is about the Oscars, on May 16 1929 the first Academy Awards were held, and the very first Best Actor award went to Emil Jannings. Emil Jannings was a theater actor…
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I took this photograph about two and a half years ago during a visit to Munich. The venue, Hofbräuhaus am Platzl, was packed with visitors that day. The atmosphere was lively, the food was satisfying, and the beer lived up to its reputation. So why am I telling I went there specifically because I knew…
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Between February 13 and 15, there were four raids on Dresden. The Allied bombing of the German city of Dresden was carried out by the British Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force (USAAF) in four phases from the night of February 13 to 15, 1945. The photographs included in this blog were…
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At first glance the picture appears to be quite innocent. A picture of a Bavarian family. However, when you look a bit close you will recognize Heinrich Himmler, in the middle his wife Margarete, and on the left their daughter Gudrun. Gudrun Burwitz (1929–2018) was born on August 8, 1929, Gudrun was deeply attached to…
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The Buna-Monowitz Concentration Camp, part of the Auschwitz complex, was established to support the labor demands of IG Farben, a German chemical company. Prisoners were forced into grueling labor, constructing and operating facilities for the production of synthetic rubber and fuel. Conditions were brutal: malnutrition, disease, and the constant threat of violence characterized daily life.…