Category: Modern
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Listen to Hirohito’s surrender speech
The original recordings of Japanese royal emperor Hirohito’s surrender speech on the 15th of August 1945 have been made public by the Imperial Royal Household. This unique radio speech, in which the Japanese people for the first time heard the voice of the divine emperor, can now be heard at the internet. The Imperial Royal…
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Sobibór is finally excavated. Its gruesome history revealed
Archaeologists found the remains of two gas chambers at the site of former nazi extermination camp Sobibor. A gruesome reminder of the crimes committed there. Smaller findings, like pictures, bracelets, notes and weddings rings, give an insight in the horrors that took place in this remote forest, some 71 years ago. Under the code name…
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The SS built a secret army after WWII
The notorious Waffem-SS continued their military activities after the Second World War. They built on a secret army in West Germany, starting in 1949. Their aim was to fight off a Russian invasion. Since Germany wasn’t allowed to have an army, they wanted to filled the gap left by the demise of the Wehrmacht. At first without…
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No more lying about WW2 in Russia – or face 5 years imprisonment
The Russian Duma passed a law that criminalizes lying about the Second World War. From now on, offenders will face up to five years imprisonment. The law specifically forbids to lie about the actions of the Soviet-Union during the Second World War and the denial of the judgments of the Nuremberg trials from 1945 to…
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Hitler’s Jewish neighbor publishes diaries
Edgar Feuchtwanger lived in Munich, Germany, during the rise and heydays of the nazi-regime, from the early 1930’s to the outbreak of the war in 1939. Munich was the beating heart of the nazi-movement and the Feuchtwanger family was Jewish. To make things worse, the family had an infamous neighbour, none other than the Führer…
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British Pathé shows a wide range of historical footage
If you like old news footage you definitely have to check out the Youtube channel of British Pathé. They published a staggering 85.000 historical movies, ranging from important historical events to everyday life. The oldest movies date back to the 19th century. The good thing is, the movies are searchable. Some examples: Anti-nazi propaganda movies, like…
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Unearthed bones show Edinburgh’s history as center of anatomical research
At Edinburgh’s university campus five human skeletons have been unearthed. Radiocarbon-dating suggests that the human remains date to the 18th / early 19th century. This was a glorious age for anatomical research. Since these bones were threaded with wires, it is likely that these remains served just that purpose. The Scottish city of Edinburgh was…