the Netherlands
-
Philip Mechanicus was born, three days before Adolph Hitler, in Amsterdam on 17 April 1889 to a Jewish family. After he left school, he started to work for the social-democratic daily newspaper Het Volk in the shipping and records department. He worked his way up to become a journalist. After finishing his military service, he worked in…
-
The one thing that always puzzled me is that the Nazis never stole one of the most famous paintings, if not the most famous Rembrandt—”Nacht Wacht” (Night Watch). Recently, I found out the reason. In August 1939, it became clear that war was inevitable. The Dutch government took steps for the safety of the Dutch…
-
The parents of Jacques and Fred Goldwasser managed to reach Switzerland, but they were forced to leave their children behind. In 1943, the brothers were separated and placed with foster parents. Jacqui was with the childless couple Messow, and Freddi was with the then-childless couple Jonas. Richard Messow and Erich Jonas owned a Sperre as…
-
I believe that the most powerful weapon the Nazis had during World War II was its propaganda machine. Other countries used propaganda, but not as effectively as the Nazis. Perhaps critical thinking had not been eradicated or banned elsewhere. The Nazis often used art to spread their message. Some of their posters remind me of…
-
I have written about the bombing of Geleen before, but since today is the 81st anniversary, I thought it a good idea to revisit that awful day. Geleen is a town in the southeast part of the Netherlands. It used to be a mining town. Although the Bombing of Geleen was a devastating event, I…
-
The NSVO—Nationaal-Socialistische Vrouwenorganisatie (National Socialist Women Organisation-SS), was the female branch of the NSB, the Dutch Nazi party. To win women for National Socialism in the Netherlands, Mussert founded the NSVO on 1 September 1938. As an independent branch of the NSB, it was led by Mrs. A.M. by Hoey Smith-van Stolk. The purpose of…
-
Never Again are two words that are easily said. Though, do we mean them? Or are we just saying them to make ourselves feel better about us? Recently, I was called ”a genocide junkie.” I did not judge the person who said it because I could see why they said it. I disagree—because they are wrong about…
-
Americans and the Holocaust is an exhibition at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, which opened on 23 April 2018. Before I go into the details of this exhibition, I want to mention one of the few Americans, Eddy Hamel, who was murdered during the Holocaust. Eddy Hamel was the first Jewish player, and…
-
One of the men I owe my freedom is—LT Colonel Robert G. Cole. I do understand people will argue and say, “You were born a free man—long after World War II.” However, because of the sacrifice of men like Robert G. Cole, I was born a free man. Cole was born at Fort Sam Houston,…
-
Sabotage: a destructive or obstructive action carried out by a civilian or enemy agent to hinder a nation’s war effort. The Dutch are often criticized for not having done enough to protect their fellow citizens during World War II, especially their Jewish neighbours. To an extent, it is a justified criticism. However, this doesn’t mean…
History of Sorts 