Nazi Children

February 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Harald Quandt, Magda Goebbels’ son by her first marriage, center back stands in uniform with his step-father Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, bottom front right, his mother Magda, third from left, and the couple’s 6 children, Helga, Hildegard, Helmut, Hedwig, Holdine and Heidrun in 1942. Photograph: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Sins of the Fathers

No one should have to bear the brunt of someone else’s past. On the contrary, people should be judged by their own morals and merit. Yet when something happens that is so horrendous, so horrific and beyond understanding – like the Holocaust – what then? Are the perpetrators’ progeny to blame? Recently two Nazi ‘children’ were in the news with stories that tug at the soul. Their stories beg the question:

“What if that were me?”

Below are links to articles about several children of Nazi war criminals and how they’ve dealt with the burden of their blood. Each has had to live under the pall of his/her predecessor’s name and reputation. Some have tried to erase the stigma. Others have embraced it. Still others have tried to reach out and make amends. But they have all had to come to terms with the stain of guilt and shame of their collective past. This is by no means an exhaustive list but an invitation to look further.

Adolf Eichmann – SS Obersturmbannführer  / Facilitator of ‘Final Solution’

Legacy of the Third Reich: Eichmann’s Remorseful Son  International Business Times – 01/30/2013 – Synopsis: Otto Adolf Eichmann, one of the major architects of the Nazi Holocaust, met justice in 1962 by hanging. To his oldest son, Ricardo, Adolf Eichmann was an historical figure, a father he didn’t know.

Coffee with Eichmann  Ynetnews.com – 07/06/2010 – Synopsis: For years, Ricardo Eichmann has distanced himself from the annals of modern history, where his father, Adolf Eichmann occupies one of the most horrifying places. In order to lead a normal life under the name “Eichmann”, he focuses on archaeological excavations… [Read more…]

May We Never Forget

January 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment

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Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem, Jerusalem – Courtesy of wikimedia: David Shankbone

Today, January 27, 2015, is International Remembrance Day, marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by the Soviet troops. It is a day to honor all the victims of the Nazi killing machine and to hear their stories. Below are links to a variety of tributes:

From Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial & Museum, Poland

300 former Auschwitz prisoners will take part in a commemoration event to mark the 70th anniversary of liberation. “This is the last big anniversary that we can commemorate with a numerous group of Survivors [eye-witnesses]. Their voices became the most important warning against the human capacity for extreme humiliation, contempt and genocide”, said Dr. Piotr M.A. Cywiński, director of the Auschwitz Memorial. “Soon it will not be the [eye]witnesses of those years, but us, the post-war generations, who will pass this horrible knowledge and the crushing conclusions that result from it. That is why it is so important that the crowned heads, presidents, prime ministers and high-rank representatives of international institutions are present in Birkenau today …” Read More

A Lifetime Surviving Auschwitz

As the world marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a group of now-elderly survivors of the Nazi death camp have been photographed holding wartime pictures of themselves and their murdered families. (Guardian online news)

Remembering the Holocaust

Thousands of people are gathering at events worldwide to remember the millions of people killed in the Holocaust – exactly 70 years after the liberation of the Nazis’ Auschwitz death camp. (ITV online news)

Artwork of the Holocaust

January 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment

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“Terezín arrival” by Helga Weissova – 1942 – 13 years old.

In Honor of International Remembrance Day

January 27, 2015

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

– by Martin Niemöller

 

Martin Niemöller: (1892-1984) Niemöller was a German pastor and theologian. Originally he supported Hitler’s policies, but eventually opposed them. He was arrested and eventually confined in Sachsenhausen and later, Dachau. He was liberated by the allies in 1945 and continued his career in Germany as a clergyman and noted pacifist.

Helga Weissova: (b 1929) Helga is a Czech artist and Holocaust survivor who entered into Terezin with her family on Dec. 4, 1941. She brought with her a box of paints and a notebook. She did more than 100 paintings doing what her father told her: “Paint whatever you see”. Here ended Helga’s childhood with the responsibility of painting everything she saw and experienced. She was one of the few survivors.

History’s Footprints

January 25, 2015 by Leave a Comment

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Krasinski Park, Warsaw, 1930 – Oil on cardboard – by Moshe Rynecki

 

History always leaves a legacy behind for those who are willing to look for it. Elizabeth Rynecki is one such seeker. Recently I attended a talk Elizabeth gave about her “Chasing Portraits” film project, held in a beautiful women’s clubhouse nestled in the Sausalito hills overlooking San Francisco Bay. Elizabeth is the great-granddaughter of Moshe Rynecki, a prolific Warsaw-based artist who documented the Polish Jewish community in the interwar years (1918-39) in over 800 paintings and sculptures. Sadly, most of his body of work was lost in the Holocaust. Or so people thought. [Read more…]

CAT Tractors in WWII

January 22, 2015 by 1 Comment

ww2amphibious“If forced to choose between tanks and bulldozers, I’d take the road-building equipment every time.” – General George S. Patton

Timeline of Caterpillar equipment in WWII

California CAT dealer – Peterson Tractor Co. –  contributes to WWII war effort

Curating the Best of WWII

January 21, 2015 by 2 Comments

Filming motion pictures at NAS Norfolk, VA. Cameraman Vebo V. Valenzio. Date: 1942.

History is Huge! It’s a broad spectrum of diverse events far too large for one blog-site to cover. Just as a college professor tells his students to narrow their focus down to something more specific and manageable, I shall do the same.

For 2015 this blog will focus on the events of World War Two (WWII) and all its various related subject matter. The choice was simple since I’m already working on a novel inspired by Holocaust Survivors from Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland.

From time to time I will add other historical subjects for variety and for the sake of fun. My goal, however, is to be a WWII curating site that gathers the best that the World Wide Web has to offer. Please don’t be shy about sharing.

“Research is a treasure hunt, made richer in the company of like-minded folks.”

Adventures with MAC

October 15, 2014 by 3 Comments

MAC Plus

Macintosh Plus / by Rama / Wikimedia Commons

The Beginning – It all began with my first MAC – a Macintosh Plus. On the job. In retrospect, the memory and storage capacity were laughable at 1MG of RAM and 128K of ROM. But back then it was just plain cool. My husband had bought an AT&T personal computer for home but when he died I could not get into that thing no matter what I did. User-friendly … NOT! Instead of tossing it out the window (my initial impulse), I gave it to a friend then went and bought a MAC. We’ve been a MAC family ever since.

[Read more…]

Women of Resistance

October 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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Esther Wajcblum is one of four women who died for their heroic stance inside Auschwitz

The world needs heroes. During the horrific Nazi-era of WWII, it was full of them. Anyone who resisted Hitler – in whatever manner – is a hero to me. Most knew they’d never live to tell their story. Yet they did it anyway. It is up to History to tell their truth. This is the story of the Auschwitz Revolt and the 4 brave women who stood up to Evil.

Yetta cast a furtive look around then poured a pinch of powder down her blouse. She’d been pilfering it in tiny bits for months now. Last month two girls had been caught during an inspection after work. They’d been hanged that night as a lesson to the rest. She was still petrified but resistance was the only thing she had left. If she did nothing, she’d be just another hapless lamb awaiting slaughter. [Read more…]

Legacy Building

September 7, 2014 by 4 Comments

Making ice cream with Pa

Making ice cream with Pa

I was lucky enough to have all four grandparents deep into adulthood. Each brought something different to the mix that is now me. From Grampie I learned generosity. As a young man back in the early 1930s, he made some money on the stock market. Before investing into what would become his future company, he decided to tithe 10% to a missions project in China. Through the years, Grampie always credited his success to writing that first $2,000 check – even though it hurt. For the rest of his life he gave and gave and gave. And God gave more.

I learned adventure from Gramsie. She loved to travel. Grampie did not so he sent his grandkids instead. Being the eldest granddaughter, I got to go a lot. There was the Grand Tour of Europe at age 16, and China at 23. But my favorite was the year I turned 20 and fell in love with the Holy Land. For me there was a story around every corner: [Read more…]