Germany

  • On 2 August 1942, 245 Jewish Catholics in the Netherlands were arrested. To the Nazis it didn’t matter if they had converted to Catholicism, in their eyes and according to their laws these people were still considered Jewish. Else, Michaelis was among them. Else Michaelis was born in Berlin on March 30, 1889. Her father…

    Read more →

  • The Holocaust, history’s darkest chapter, was not merely the work of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party elite. It was a sprawling, systematic effort that relied heavily on the participation of professionals and civil leaders across German society. From bureaucrats and lawyers to doctors and educators, the Holocaust would not have been possible without their…

    Read more →

  • Heinrich Himmler was one of the most powerful and notorious figures in Nazi Germany, playing a pivotal role in orchestrating the Holocaust and implementing the regime’s brutal policies. Born on October 7, 1900, in Munich, Germany, Himmler emerged from a middle-class, conservative Catholic family. His early life included a stint in the military during World…

    Read more →

  • Introduction During the dark days of Nazi Germany, dissent was met with ruthless suppression. Among those who dared to resist was a small but determined student group known as the Weiße Rose (White Rose). Led by siblings Hans and Sophie Scholl, along with Christoph Probst and other members, the group sought to awaken the German…

    Read more →

  • One of the most despicable henchmen of he Nazi regime was Roland Freisler. The only redeeming factor he had was that he also tried high-ranking Nazis . You could be for 90% certain that if you would appear before his court you would be sentenced to death or to life imprisonment. On 20 August 1942,…

    Read more →

  • Eva Braun as Al Jolson

    Eva Braun is a bit of enigma. I do think that she was fully aware of what Hitler and his cronies were up to. She did first meet Hitler when she was still a teenager and would have been in awe of the man, but she did become his partner and later his wife, albeit…

    Read more →

  • On September 15, 1935, the Nazi regime announced the Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor (‘Gesetz zum Schutze des deutschen Blutes und der deutschen Ehre’). The law forbade sexual relations and marriages between Germans classified as so-called ‘Aryans’ and Germans classified as Jews. “–Section 1 Section 2Sexual relations outside marriage between…

    Read more →

  • The Holocaust remains the most devastating and horrifying chapter in human history, marked by its relentless dehumanization and systematic annihilation of millions of people. Among the lesser-known stories is that of the Schwanger Kommando, or the “Pregnant Command,” which existed in the Kaufering subcamps of Dachau, one of the many Nazi concentration camps. Background: The…

    Read more →

  • When the Nazis rose to power in Germany, many businesspeople recognized opportunities in the new political climate. Some capitalized on the environment fostered by the NSDAP, particularly regarding the “Jewish Question.” They actively supported the Nazi regime, driven by self-interest and personal gain. Others, however, used their positions and influence to do good, helping those…

    Read more →

  • Nowadays, it is easy to blame social media for the widespread distribution of fake news through memes and other formats. However, this phenomenon is far from new. About 100 years ago, propaganda postcards and cartoons served the same purpose (after all, a meme is essentially a digital version of a propaganda or satirical postcard or…

    Read more →