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Category Archives: History
“… and the noble gesture of the German commander”
“If I hadn’t followed orders, I would have been shot myself” the culprits say, and their defense attorneys call it “acting under superior orders” when someone is indicted for crimes committed during World War II. A handy excuse, this alleged moral dilemma. Except that … Continue reading
Is this the most beautiful cemetery in the world?
Macedonia is full of cemeteries. Or maybe I just got this impression because every larger town has more than one resting place for its ancestors, always at least a Christian, a Muslim and a Jewish one. The latter hardly have any … Continue reading
Posted in History, Islam, Macedonia, Photography, Travel
Tagged Bitola, cemetery, clouds
10 Comments
We are so indipendent…
… that we can even ignore regular English spelling. Photographed in Vlora, where in 1912 the independence – or indipendence – of Albania from the Ottoman Empire was proclaimed. – To be fair though, throughout Albania I experienced a very … Continue reading
Going West
17 July 2014. In the Albanian port city of Vlora (in which Albanian is merely a geographical description because Vlora is such a typical Mediterranean tourism and port city that it might as well be in Italy or in Turkey) I … Continue reading
The Ruins of Tyndaris
Most of the souvenir and snack shops on the side of the road winding up to Tindari are closed. In Sicily, late April is still off-season. If you own a shop at the place that will be visited both for the ruins of the ancient city … Continue reading
Why is there such a mess in Iraq?
A country rich in oil, one of the cradles of human civilization, bestowed with a democracy and rule of law which it received from the benevolent world community. That is Iraq. Why is this country deteriorating? Why is there a … Continue reading
Happy Birthday, Donald Duck!
It’s Donald Duck’s 80th birthday. Enjoy this short film which won an Oscar in 1943:
Posted in Cinema, Germany, History, USA, World War II
Tagged Donald Duck, Hitler, Nazis
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An idea for Kaliningrad
From the letters to the editor in The Economist: SIR – I suggest taking another page from Mr Putin’s playbook to resolve the lingering issue of Kaliningrad. This Russian-governed territory sits squarely isolated in the midst of the European Union and … Continue reading
Posted in Germany, History, Military, Russia, Ukraine, World War II
Tagged Crimea, Kaliningrad, Königsberg
1 Comment
Commemorating World War I
For the 100th anniversary of World War I in 2014, the participating countries have different plans to commemorate this 4-year long war: The United Kingdom will hold a military parade in London and bask in memories of the Empire that once spun … Continue reading
“The Liberator” by Alex Kershaw
The full title of the book The Liberator: one World War II soldier’s 500-day odyssey from the beaches of Sicily to the gates of Dachau gives you the gist of the story already. It recounts the experience of Felix Sparks who served … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Germany, History, Holocaust, Italy, Military, Sicily, USA, World War II
Tagged Alex Kershaw, Dachau
8 Comments
The Happy Hermit 