Indonesia

  • During the Second World War, numerous war crimes were committed by various nations, but some of the most horrific atrocities were perpetrated by the Japanese Army. Their occupation of conquered territories was marked by extreme brutality, with estimates suggesting that up to 14 million people perished as a result of Japanese war crimes. One of

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  • The Politionele Acties, or “Police Actions,” represent one of the most contentious episodes in the history of Indonesia and the Netherlands. Conducted between 1947 and 1949, these military operations were part of the Dutch effort to regain control of their former colony after Indonesia’s declaration of independence on August 17, 1945. What unfolded was a

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  • A Deck of Cards

    This blog is based on nostalgia and facts, although it could not be verified who made the cards. However, the photos in the blog are of a real deck of cards that were made by one or more prisoners in Japanese captivity, it is not known where exactly though, and who made them. They were

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  • The above photograph is of a plaque that hangs over a house in The Hague. It was the residence of Mies Wahlbeehm, where she hid a great number of Jews. The one thing that captured my attention was the words at the top of the plaque, “De herrinering aan de doden is voor hen een

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  • Hygiene During World War II

    One of the definitions of hygiene is conditions or practices conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease—specifically through cleanliness. The lack of hygiene was one of the hidden killers during World War II, and indeed any other war, because it wasn’t always possible to keep a minimal level of hygiene. This post has a few

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  • As the Nazis did in Europe, the Japanese Imperial Army had concentration camps in the Pacific. The Asian camps were nearly as horrific as the European ones, and the conditions were inhumane, nonetheless. This is just a side note, but I did notice, while researching, none of the Pacific camps were referred to as camps

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  • Between 1816 and 1949, the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, was a Dutch colony. Between 1941 and 1945 it was occupied by Japan. On 19 and 20 July 1940, 231 people who were on leave from the Dutch East Indies in the Netherlands were arrested by the Germans. They were called ‘Indian hostages’. It was

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  • Alfred Münzer was only nine months old when his family separated during the Nazi Regime occupation of the Netherlands. At one year old, he was placed into the care of a Dutch-Indonesian family for his protection. After liberation, his mother, who survived several concentration camps including Auschwitz, returned and they were reunited. This is his

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  • The Rawagede Massacre

    I love the Netherlands. I was born and raised there and proud to call myself a Dutchman. Like all other countries in this world, it has pages in history that are not so glorious. I believe that the best way for any country to deal with the darker days of its history is not to

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  • Lampersari Prison Camp

    The Nazis weren’t the only ones using concentration camps, the Japanese Imperial army had them too, although not to the extent as the Nazi camps, and they were not meant for mass extermination. However, the treatment of the prisoners was still brutal and evil. One of the camps was the Lampersari Prison camp. Lampersari was

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