Holocaust
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Anyone who grew up in Germany or the Netherlands would likely have seen at least one episode of Derrick, the German police drama set in Munich. The show ran from 1974 to 1998 and was so popular that even Pope John Paul II was rumored to be a fan. A while ago, I watched Faking…
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The title of this blog is a line from a song by the hip-hop group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. I chose it because it speaks a simple truth—a child does not know how to be evil. The boy in the picture above is Samuel Siegfried Opdenberg. He was born on February 7, 1940,…
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The Frankfurt Auschwitz trial (1963–1965) was one of the most significant post-war trials of Nazi war criminals in West Germany. It prosecuted former SS officers and personnel involved in the operation of the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp during the Holocaust. The trial, held in Frankfurt am Main, was led by Fritz Bauer, a German-Jewish…
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Andrée Dumon, known by her codename “Nadine,” was a prominent figure in the Belgian Resistance during World War II. Born on September 5, 1922, in Brussels, she became an integral member of the Comet Line, a network dedicated to aiding Allied airmen shot down over occupied Europe. Her courageous efforts and unwavering commitment to the…
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The conditions for the Jewish community in Libya deteriorated significantly following the passage of Italy’s Manifesto of Race in 1938. Discrimination intensified, and the situation worsened further after German intervention in 1941. The Nazis deported many Jews to concentration camps in continental Europe, where survivors remained until the end of World War II. Jewish Communities…
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Karen Reb Rudel, a Jewish American, has called Paris home for over 20 years. She lives with her French husband and young son in a charming suburb just outside the city and is the founder of Sight Seeker’s Delight, a walking tour company. Adapting to changing times, she has expanded her offerings to include Virtual…
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Introduction Theresienstadt, a Nazi concentration camp and ghetto established in 1941, was unique among the camps in that it played a dual role: both as a site of suffering and as a tool of deception. One of the most sinister aspects of this deception was a propaganda film produced by the Nazis in 1944, often…
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Last night, during the Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations in London, Prince William delivered a heartfelt tribute to his great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, in a moving speech. I wasn’t aware of his paternal great-grandmother’s involvement in the Holocaust. Princess Alice of Battenberg, a member of the British royal family and mother of Prince Philip, Duke…
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Earlier this week, I wrote a blog post featuring quotes from Holocaust survivors. Among them, I came across a powerful statement by Simon Wiesenthal: “For your benefit, learn from our tragedy. It is not a written law that the next victims must be Jews. It can also be other people. We saw it begin in…
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Two lives so brief, their stories untold,In shadows of darkness, their fates took hold.Nehemia Levy Cohen, born with winter’s breath,In Amsterdam’s arms, unaware of death.Roosje van der Hal, spring’s gentle child,From Groningen’s heart, her laughter wild. On January’s day, the cold tracks groaned,Two babes were taken from the love they’d known.To Westerbork’s gates, where the…
History of Sorts 