Category Archives: World War II
Sean Spicer explains Gas Chambers
Pro tip: if you want to make historical comparisons, read a bit about history before you do so. Saying about Hitler that “he was not using the gas on his own people the same way that Assad is doing” displays … 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
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
Winston Churchill on New Year’s Resolutions
It’s mid-February. If you are like me, most of your new year’s resolutions have already dissipated, been forgotten or pushed to March or April. The smarter ones among you won’t have made any resolutions in the first place. But if … Continue reading
Random Thoughts (5)
When Donald Trump praises his pick for Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis, as “the closest thing to General George Patton we have”, does he refer to the mistreatment of soldiers or to Patton’s antisemitism? After my story about the Peruvian girl, … Continue reading
German history follows me all the way to Bolivia
Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Artikels. A few days ago in Santa Cruz, in eastern Bolivia: The Orient Express on which I had come from San José de Chiquitos, even further in the east of the country, was delayed by an hour. Thus, I had … Continue reading
Belgrade and the signs of war
I have this talent to find traces of war wherever I go, but in Belgrade the task is made really easy. First of all, the city’s fortress in Kalemegdan Park houses a military museum. In addition to the permanent display of military hardware, … Continue reading
The Soviet Military Cemetery
When I am looking for a quiet place to read, there aren’t as many options available as it may seem: In the park, noisy children are playing. In the forest, man-eating bears are roaming. At the library, some of the girls are … Continue reading
“A Spy at the Heart of the Third Reich” by Lucas Delattre
“A Spy at the Heart of the Third Reich” would be one of the best spy novels I have ever read, if only it was a novel. But even better, it’s a true story. It’s a cliché that the best stories are … Continue reading
The Happy Hermit 