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Category Archives: History
Kaunas: European Capital of Culture 2022
As with the choice for 2021, I agree with the election of the European Capital of Culture for 2022. It will be Kaunas in Lithuania. Sadly and inexplicably, during my whole year in Lithuania, I only found one day to visit … Continue reading
Instagram 1.0
How our grandmothers got their cool Facebook profile photos. (Warsaw, Poland in 1946.)
Book Review: “Alone in Berlin” by Hans Fallada
When a novel becomes an international bestseller 62 years after its original publication, there has to be something to it. Jeder stirbt für sich allein by Hans Fallada was published in Germany in 1947 and finally got translated into English … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Germany, History, Holocaust, Politics, World War II
Tagged Gestapo, Hans Fallada, Nazis, Third Reich, thriller
9 Comments
Random Thoughts (9)
In Bolivia, I spoke with a lawyer about feminicidios, the killing of women by their partners, which carries a higher sentence than a “regular” homicide. Out of curiosity, I looked up the figure for Germany – and was shocked: 331 … Continue reading
Posted in Bolivia, Economics, Germany, History, Human Rights, Immigration Law, Law, Mexico, Military, Music, Poland, Politics, Romania, Russia, Travel, Ukraine, USA, World War II
Tagged crime, criminal law, dance, Donald Trump, Health, Human Rights, racism, Soviet Union, Statistics
1 Comment
10,000 boxes of cigars
When General Ulysses Grant was described by newspapers as smoking cigars during the Battle at Fort Donelson in Tennessee in 1862, admirers from around the country sent him more than 10,000 boxes of cigars for further use. He later said: I had … Continue reading
“Slaves came to America to pursue prosperity and happiness”
This is what Ben Carson, the new US Secretary for Housing and Urban Development, said today, calling African slaves “immigrants who worked even harder”. During the Republican primaries, I referred to Ben Carson as the most stupid candidate, despite the … Continue reading
Posted in History, Human Rights, USA
Tagged Ben Carson, Human Rights, immigration, slavery
16 Comments
Fascism, we’re on the way.
This poster was for sale at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. until recently. It no longer is for sale now.
Random Thoughts (8)
I don’t understand why supermarkets, all around the world, by the way, are trying to force me to use a metal instrument when I want to buy some bread. You remember my article about the longest possible train journey and … Continue reading
Posted in Belgium, Bolivia, Books, Brazil, Canada, Economics, History, India, Language, Malta, Portugal, Religion, Romania, Technology, Travel, UK, Ukraine, USA
Tagged Bangladesh, Canada, christianity, Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, Justin Trudeau, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, Media, Netherlands, racism, refugees, slavery, train
3 Comments
A Very Short History of Lithuania
One of the reasons behind my move to Lithuania was that it is a perfect case study of 20th century European history, with its independence between the two World Wars, then the occupation by the Soviet Union, by Nazi Germany, … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, History, Lithuania
10 Comments
Pardon me!
When laws change, people who were once convicted as criminals are (sometimes) pardoned. We often find that just and necessary, like in the case of those convicted of homosexual acts when this was still a crime (which isn’t all that … Continue reading
The Happy Hermit 