All articles tagged with #nazi germany
In 2025, construction workers in Lörrach, Germany, discovered over 100 pieces of hidden Bible literature from the 1930s, revealing the courageous efforts of the Denz family who risked their lives to smuggle religious materials into Nazi Germany, enduring arrest and imprisonment while maintaining their faith.
The series 'Outrageous' dramatizes the tumultuous lives of the Mitford sisters, highlighting their aristocratic background, political extremism, and personal scandals, with many events based on true history but some fictionalized for entertainment. It explores themes of privilege, political radicalization, and family dynamics during the 1930s, including Unity Mitford's obsession with Hitler and her antisemitic activities, as well as Diana Mitford's marriage to Oswald Mosley and Hitler's attendance at their wedding.
Marcel Ophuls, a renowned documentary filmmaker known for works like 'Sorrow and the Pity' and 'Hotel Terminus,' has died at age 97. His films critically examined complex political and moral issues, especially related to Nazi Germany and its aftermath. Ophuls' influential career included awards from major festivals and a legacy of thought-provoking cinema.
Poland asks the European Commission to correct a social media post about the Holocaust after it wrongly linked the Auschwitz death camp to Poland instead of Nazi Germany. The post, made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, was later amended to refer to "Auschwitz, German Nazi extermination camp" after Polish officials and Holocaust survivors protested the initial wording. Poles are sensitive to any description of Auschwitz that fails to acknowledge it was built by Nazi Germany during its occupation of Poland, and Polish law penalizes anyone wrongly blaming Poles for Nazi Germany's crimes on Polish soil.
The upcoming film "The Zone of Interest" depicts the chillingly normal family life of Rudolf Höss, the commandant of Auschwitz-Birkenau, just outside the death camp where over a million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. The film focuses on Höss's domestic life with his wife and children, portraying scenes of everyday activities in stark contrast to the mass slaughter he directed. The film, directed by Jonathan Glazer, does not show scenes inside Auschwitz but instead reveals the horrifying mundanity of family life near the death camp. Rudolf Höss, responsible for overseeing the physical extermination of Europe's Jews, lived in relative domestic bliss just 150 meters from the crematorium's chimney, where bodies were burnt to ashes.
Former President Donald Trump has once again used inflammatory language, echoing phrases associated with Nazi Germany, to attack immigrants during a rally in New Hampshire. He claimed that immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country," a statement widely condemned as echoing white supremacist and Nazi rhetoric. President Joe Biden criticized Trump's language, stating that it resembled phrases used in Nazi Germany. Trump, who is facing 91 criminal charges, has been campaigning for a comeback in 2024 and reportedly plans to implement even harsher immigration policies, including detaining undocumented immigrants in camps and expanding travel bans. Critics have condemned Trump's rhetoric as dangerous and reminiscent of Hitler's rhetoric.
Joe Biden has criticized Donald Trump for using the word "vermin" to describe his political opponents, stating that it echoes the language used in Nazi Germany. Trump made the comments at a rally in New Hampshire, where he also repeated his false claims of election fraud. Biden highlighted that this is not the first time Trump has used such language, pointing to his previous remarks about "poisoning the blood of America." Trump's rhetoric drew immediate criticism online, with historians noting its similarity to tactics used by autocrats to dehumanize their foes. Trump's campaign spokesman rejected the comparisons, dismissing them as the result of "Trump Derangement Syndrome."
President Biden criticized former President Trump for using language reminiscent of Nazi Germany, referring to Trump's recent remarks where he likened his political opponents to "vermin." Biden highlighted Trump's use of phrases like "wipe out the vermin in America" and "the blood in America has been poisoned," drawing parallels to Nazi rhetoric. Trump's comments have faced condemnation from White House aides, lawmakers, historians, and some Republicans, with comparisons made to dictators like Hitler and Mussolini. Biden and his aides have increasingly targeted Trump with criticism about his rhetoric and policies as he remains a front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
A letter found in the Vatican archives suggests that Pope Pius XII had knowledge of the Nazi attempt to exterminate Jews in the Holocaust as early as 1942, contradicting the Holy See's previous claim that their information was vague and unverified. The letter, written by a Jesuit in the anti-Nazi resistance, detailed the killings at the Belzec camp and referenced Auschwitz and Dachau. Supporters argue that Pius worked behind the scenes to help Jews, while critics say he lacked the courage to speak out. The release of the letter demonstrates the Vatican's commitment to examining its history, as ordered by Pope Francis in 2019.
Construction workers in Munich, Germany, have discovered rubble from the city's former main synagogue, which was demolished on Adolf Hitler's orders in 1938. The remains include columns and a stone tablet with part of the Ten Commandments. The discovery has been described as a moving moment by the head of the Jewish Munich Museum, who never expected to find anything from the synagogue. The rubble was later used for construction work on a river weir, and there is hope that further pieces of the synagogue will be found.
Parts of a Munich synagogue that was demolished by the Nazis in 1938 have been discovered in a river during construction work. The rubble, including stone columns and a tablet bearing the Ten Commandments in Hebrew, was found several miles away from the original site. The director of the Jewish Museum Munich, Bernhard Purin, described the discovery as "unusual" and "touching." The stones will be transported for further examination, and experts will determine how they can be preserved and potentially used to honor Jewish life in Munich before the Holocaust.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has submitted a bill to parliament to officially make May 8 a day of remembrance and victory in Ukraine, while May 9 will become Europe Day. Zelenskiy said the move would return Ukraine to an honest history without ideological influences and bring the country closer to Europe. He also warned against the "modern Russia" pursuing the same goal as the Nazis of "enslavement and destruction". May 9 is one of Russia's most important national events, but Zelenskiy said it was time to defeat "evil" together to ensure that no one ever enslaves other peoples or destroys other countries again.
Christie's will auction a jewelry collection valued at $150 million, once owned by Helmut Horten, who made a fortune buying businesses from Jews who were forced to sell in Nazi Germany. The collection has more than 700 pieces and includes the "Briolette of India" necklace, which has a 90-carat diamond with an estimated value of $7.8 million. Despite the painful history, Christie's decided to host the items, and the Helmut Horten Foundation is now a key driver of philanthropic causes. The collection's estimated value surpasses that of Elizabeth Taylor's jewelry collection, which sold for $137 million in 2011.
The chair of the Michigan Republican party, Kristina Karamo, has refused to apologize for comparing proposed gun control laws to the treatment of Jewish people in Nazi Germany. The Michigan GOP tweeted a photo of rings in a box with text across the image reading: “Before they collected all these wedding rings … they collected all the guns.” The stance was criticized by organizations including the Republican Jewish Coalition and the Anti-Defamation League. Despite the outcry, Karamo stood by her statement and said she would not be “intimidated or bullied” for equating state efforts to introduce safe gun storage regulations and universal background checks to actions by the Nazi regime.