|
Post by Admin on Jan 3, 2017 20:22:15 GMT
A record number of visitors walked through the gates of Auschwitz this year to learn about the history of the former Nazi concentration camp. Nearly two million people from hundreds of countries visited the site of the extermination camp in occupied Poland where more than one million men, women and children died, the Auschwitz museum said. Numbers surpassed the previous record – 1.7 million visitors last year – in October, the museum revealed, adding it will release full visitor figures in the new year. Britain has long been one of the countries providing the highest number of visitors. Last year 220,000 went to the site, and English is the most popular language for its 283 guides.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 6, 2017 19:23:18 GMT
Research conducted by the Anne Frank House contributes a new perspective on Anne Frank's arrest. Not the familiar question 'Who betrayed Anne Frank?' was asked, but instead 'Why did the raid on the Secret Annexe take place, and on what information was it based?' This study presents new findings: possibly illegal employment and ration-coupon fraud played a role in the raid on 263 Prinsengracht and led to the discovery and arrest of Anne Frank.
Questions and answers on the investigative report on the arrest.
Eight Jews in hiding behind a movable bookcase. A story known worldwide from Anne Frank's diary. And the dramatic ending, portrayed on stage and filmed: booted Germans stomping up the steep stairs and heading directly to the Secret Annexe. A while later, the people in hiding and two helpers being driven away in a truck. And another familiar part of the story: the telephone call. Supposedly, shortly before the raid, an anonymous call arrived at the Sicherheitsdienst (SD, German Security Service) revealing the whereabouts of the people in hiding. But to what extent is this true? Did the investigators who raided the premises know there were Jews hiding in the building?
To tell Anne Frank's story as completely as possible, it is also important to take a close look at the raid that brought the hiding period to an end. The question asked has always been Who betrayed Anne Frank and the people in hiding? This explicit focus on betrayal, however, has limited the perspective on the arrest. Scenarios based on other premises have never been examined at length. In this new study conducted by the Anne Frank House, the focus is not on betrayal but on the raid itself: Why did the raid on the Secret Annexe take place, and on what information was it based? The arrest was examined, from this starting point, using already known sources and newly discovered information. Anne Frank's diary entries from March 1944, not previously used as a primary source, led to police and judicial documents from different parts of the Netherlands.
Until now, the assumption has always been that the Sicherheitsdienst arrived at 263 Prinsengracht looking for Jews in hiding, and that the raid was clearly the result of betrayal. Yet, for an 'ordinary' case of wartime betrayal, the story contains many inconsistencies. This new study reveals that there was more going on at 263 Prinsengracht than just people being hidden in the Secret Annexe. Illegal work and fraud with ration coupons was also taking place. The current research study provides a different perspective: it is possible that the SD searched the building because of this illegal work and fraud with ration coupons, and that the SD investigators discovered Anne Frank and the seven others in hiding simply by chance.
Despite decades of research, betrayal as a point of departure has delivered nothing conclusive. The Anne Frank House's new investigation does not refute the possibility that the people in hiding were betrayed, but illustrates that other scenarios should also be considered. Hopefully more researchers will see reason to follow up new leads.
Ronald Leopold, Executive Director Anne Frank House
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Dec 4, 2019 2:20:40 GMT
A Russian figure skater wore an Auschwitz-themed costume during a November competition -- while skating to music from "Schindler's List" -- and now people are FURIOUS!!! The skater is 23-year-old Anton Shulepov -- who competed in the costume during his free skating performance at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating event ... a prestigious tournament featuring top skaters from all over the world, including Israel. Of course, the outfit contains imagery from Nazi concentration camps -- including the yellow star they forced Jews to wear ... and other elements of a Nazi prison guard uniform. If the outfit isn't offensive enough, things got WORSE this week, when it appeared on a Best Costume list provided by the International Skating Union ... a contest that allows fans to vote on their favorite outfits. The ISU has since removed the costume from the list -- insisting it meant to feature Shulepov's costume from his "Short Program" routine, a plain blue outfit. The Anti-Defamation League has obviously condemned the costume AND the ISU for including it on the list in a statement from CEO Jonathan A Greenblatt. "While we understand the need for skaters to be creative in their choice of costumes, Anton Shulepov’s apparent decision to evoke painful Holocaust imagery as part of his routine was insensitive and offensive." "We are surprised that the International Skating Union initially posted a picture of this costume as a nominee for ‘costume of the year.’ Yellow Stars of David or other concentration camp imagery have no place in figure skating."
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jan 26, 2024 16:34:06 GMT
The United Nations holds the annual Holocaust Memorial Ceremony in the United Nations General Assembly Hall to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust.
#UnitedNations #Holocaust #Memorial
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jan 26, 2024 21:21:03 GMT
South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians, has embarrassed vital Western trading partners but also raised its standing as a champion of the Global South. Keep up with the latest news from around the world: www.reuters.com/
|
|