Politics
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Heidegger’s famous address, often referred to as “The Rector’s Address” or “The Rectorate Address,” was delivered on May 27, 1933, at the University of Freiburg. Its full title is “The Self-Assertion of the German University” (German: “Die Selbstbehauptung der deutschen Universität”). In this speech, Martin Heidegger, who had recently been appointed Rector of the university,…
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I am not sure what to make about the photograph above. It is either extremely brave and heroic, or naive, perhaps even arrogant. The photo is of Pierre Coronel, operating a radio transmitter during World War II, while in hiding. It is one from a set of pictures. Listening to an illegal radio could result…
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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,…
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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…
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Every once in a while I come across a story which makes me immensely proud to be a native from Geleen. Those of you who read my blogs on a regular base, know that I was born in the town of Geleen in the south East of the Netherlands. Most of the Jews who lived…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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This blog has nothing to do with the Holocaust—yet, paradoxically, it has everything to do with it. It has nothing to do with the Holocaust because the event I am discussing took place decades later. And yet, it has everything to do with the Holocaust because it illustrates just how easy it was for a…
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The Holocaust remains one of the darkest periods in human history, and while the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime are well-documented, the role of major corporations in facilitating these crimes is often less discussed. One such corporation is International Business Machines (IBM), an American multinational known for its computing technology. The company’s involvement with…
History of Sorts 