the Netherlands
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Hans Jack Tannenberg, a boy with a teddy bear. That is basically one of the few things I know about him. I probably could find out more if I would do some more research. But, I decided not to because I shouldn’t have to. This boy should have become a man, a father ,a grandfather…
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From the 3rd of May 1942, the Nazis made it mandatory to wear a yellow cloth star, called the “Star of David,” in the Netherlands. This measure made it easy to identify Jewish people and was intended to stigmatize and dehumanize them. These stars were printed on inexpensive yellow cotton, in De Nijverheid, a textile…
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July 21, 2025 was my 30th wedding anniversary. I still vividly remember my wedding day. It was the hottest day of the 20th century, at least in the town of Geleen, the Netherlands, where I got married. It was 42 degrees Celsius. Despite the heat, it was a beautiful day because both my family and…
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A Rain of Bombs March 1945, two months before the liberation. Den Haag has by then been occupied by the Germans for nearly five years. It is the tail end of the Hongerwinter, and there is a shortage of almost everything. On March 3, an additional great tragedy strikes the residents of the Bezuidenhout district…
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The story of Harrie and Trien Semler-Hendriks “Not a single day was without danger.” The most striking action of the underground resistance movement “De Vrijbuiters” in Maarheeze was the raid on the ration-distribution office in Valkenswaard in April 1944. The group also helped dozens of people in hiding. Yet here, in the border region with…
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Dirk VI served as the Count of Holland from 1121 until his death in 1157. Succeeding his father, Floris II, at the age of seven, he initially ruled under the regency of his mother, Petronilla of Lorraine. His reign was defined by a delicate balancing act: acknowledging the Bishop of Utrecht as his overlord while…
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The Swedish white bread was a great gift to the Dutch population. Unfortunately, it was only a brief bright spot, and the winter of 1944–45 was not only extremely harsh but also very long-lasting. Swedish White Bread At the end of January 1945, the Red Cross transported flour from Sweden by ship. Only a month…
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I recently read a scientific report about the revised Extinctions and Radii for 1.5 Million Stars, which was observed by APOGEE, GALAH, and RAVE surveys. I am not sure what those three terms mean. But I was intrigued by the number of 1.5 million. 1.5 million is the estimated number of children who were murdered…
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Bert Jan Flim, a noted Dutch historian who has researched the rescue of Jewish children during the Holocaust in the Netherlands. His father and paternal grandparents were recipients of the Righteous Among the Nations award for their part in rescuing Jews during the Holocaust. Herman Flim, a baker from Nijverdal. During World War II, Herman…
History of Sorts 