Category Archives: History

Uman: Communism or Cheesy Story?

Posted on 2020-01-17 by

There is really no reason to visit Uman. It is a small city like hundreds of others in Ukraine. But because it lies halfway between Kyiv and Odessa, I decided to break the journey and to spend a day and … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Photography, Travel, Ukraine | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

“East West Street” by Philippe Sands

Posted on 2020-01-12 by

As a lawyer and budding historian, I found Philippe Sands‘ idea of telling the story of international criminal law through the biographies of Hersch Lauterpacht and Raphael Lemkin interesting. But the book East West Street is overloaded with the irrelevant … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Holocaust, Human Rights, Law, Ukraine | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Kyiv – Day 18/21 – Snow

Posted on 2020-01-02 by

Recently, many readers were jealous because of the mild Ukrainian winter. You needn’t be jealous any longer, for it finally snowed and became slightly colder. But before you say “oh, how pretty”, I should point out that the photos were … Continue reading →

Posted in Holocaust, Photography, Travel, Ukraine | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Kyiv – Day 13/21

Posted on 2019-12-28 by

For some places, rain is the suitable weather. And nightfall the suitable time. At that moment, the eternal flame for the unknown soldiers of World War II, the memorial for the Holodomor and some church, which I can never tell … Continue reading →

Posted in Photography, Travel, Ukraine, World War II | Tagged | 3 Comments

Kyiv – Day 10/21 – Babi Yar

Posted on 2019-12-25 by

There is so much to say about this place, but before I do so, I need to spend more time there, read more about it and think more. As you see from the photos, it got dark too early for … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Holocaust, Photography, Travel, Ukraine, World War II | Tagged | 1 Comment

Our Prisoner of War

Posted on 2019-11-29 by

Recently, I stayed with my father in Bavaria, where life is informal and one can put the feet on the table and smoke inside the house. We were both preoccupied with reading, my father with the newspaper and me with … Continue reading →

Posted in Germany, History, Military, Russia, Travel, World War II | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Does the Federal Republic of Germany even exist? A discussion with a “Reichsbürger”.

Posted on 2019-08-07 by

Many years ago, someone walked into my law office, showed me a notice about some traffic fine and explained, confusing our respective roles in the attorney-client relationship, why he definitely wouldn’t need to pay the fine. According to him, the … Continue reading →

Posted in German Law, Germany, History, Law, Military, Politics, World War II | Tagged , , | 10 Comments