Category: News
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Does ‘Black Pete’ have racist roots?
The recurring discussion about the Dutch Sinterklaas-celebration has culminated this year, as even the United Nations investigates this age-old tradition. The main issue is the possible racist background of the celebration, where a white-bearded bishop gives presents to children, as he is assisted by his black-skinned helper called Zwarte Piet, or Black Pete. The UN…
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Charlemagne not so great after all
The historical image of Charlemagne, of Charles the Great (747-814) is as positive as it gets for a medieval king. Charlemagne was one of the most striking personalities throughout the Middle Ages. He was a tough warrior, but especially a man of the church, a state-builder and cultural reformer. He won most battles he fought, so he…
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Mata Hari’s house of birth destroyed by fire
The birthplace of the legendary Frisian secret agent, dancer and courtesan Mata Hari (1867-1917) was destroyed Saturday as a huge fire destroyed many building in the historical center of Leeuwarden. Mata Hari – a renowned dancer for the rich Mata Hari was born in Leeuwarden under the name Margaret Gertrude Zelle on the 7th of…
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Case closed on Katyn massacre
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has dismissed allegations made by relatives of the victims of the Katyn massacre in 1940. In April and May of that year, the Soviet secret service (NKVD) killed around 6000 members of the Polish intelligentsia in the Katyn forests. Twelve victims of the massacre claimed that Russia withheld…
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Priebke’s body will be buried on a concealed location
Fighting over Priebke’s dead body A week of weird fighting over the corpse of Erich Priebke (1913-2013) has come to a conclusion. The nazi’ criminals body will be buried on an unknown location, reports news agency Ansa. Priebke’s lawyer, Paolo Giachini states the exact location was Italy’s and Germany’s secret. These secret burials were common…
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The political history of the cigarette
It’s hard to imagine cigarretes were once promoted by doctors (watch video below). We now know how unhealthy they are, and no political party would use tobacco smoking for propagand purposes. That wasnt the case in the 19th and early 20 century, in an age that cigarette smoking was a common and healthy habit. Researchers…
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The Nazi-past of Dr. Oetker
The former chief of Dr. Oetker, the food company famous for its pizza’s, was a nazi. No news here, most historians are aware of the fact that all major company’s in Germany’s Third Reich collaborated with the nazi -regime. But to what Rudolf August Oetker (1916-2007) supported the nazi’s was never clear. A historical investigation…