World War 2
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The Dutch were surprised that the Germans did not honour the neutrality of the Netherlands, why I don’t know because there were indications that the Germans had plans to invade the Netherlands. On the other hand the Germans expected to be welcomed with open arms. They had envisaged like the anschluß in Austria. Both nations…
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I came across date about the ‘Voormalig Rotterdams kindertehuis’ or Former Rotterdam home for Children. Initially I was a bit confused. I wanted to find out more so I looked in some Rotterdam archives, then I noticed that the actual home was in Arnhem. To make it even more confusing the address was Amsterdamscheweg 1,…
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World War II wasn’t only death and destruction, there were a few occasions where there was some reprieve. Sports remained very important during the war, to keep up the morale. The above picture is of Private Leonardo Rodriguez of Cartaro, Arizona, roping a calf during the American Red Cross rodeo and “Wild West” show staged…
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The last few years have been a strange year for a great number of countries across the world, especially when it comes to education. There is no doubt that the Covid 19 pandemic will have consequences down the line for many students. However most of them when they go back to school, they will still…
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(originally posted March 22, 2020) I did a blog on Marcel Marceau about two years ago. Today, he would have been 100 years old. Therefore, I thought it appropriate to do another tribute to this Silent Hero. He survived the Nazi occupation and saved many children during World War II. He was regarded for his…
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Dr. Maria Montessori once said “Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future.” The picture above is of a Montessori school in Amsterdam, it was taken in 1937. Leonard Samuel van Esso was one if that school’s pupils.…
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A few months ago I saw a quote which said “If you remember one, you remember them all” This really stuck with me. Today I am remembering Betsy Labzowski, she was born in Zierikzee, the Netherlands , 29 June 1920 and she was murdered in Extern kommando Raguhn, 12 March 1945, which was a subcamp of…
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One of the most iconic pictures of women during WWII is the picture of Lee Miller sitting in Adolf Hitler’s bathtub, in his Munich apartment in 1945. “I was living in Hitler’s private apartment in Munich when his death was announced.” she said afterwards. Lee Miller however wasn’t just a lady in a bathtub. Elizabeth…
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We all know about the allied troops which consisted of the US, British, Soviet, Australian, Indian and South African forces and there were others of course. However, one country that is always overlooked as a supplier of troops during World War II was Brazil. Roosevelt knew it was important to get the whole continent of…
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Like all delusional leaders, Hitler would not have been able to carry out his plans without having people around him that encouraged his delusional ideas. Göbbels was without a shadow of a doubt Hitler’s most devoted henchman and enabler. On February 18,1943 he gave his most famous speech in the Sport Palast in Berlin. The…
History of Sorts 