Weekend Stories

I enjoy going exploring on weekends (mostly). Here is a collection of stories and photos I gather along the way. All posts are CC BY-NC-SA licensed unless otherwise stated. Feel free to share, remix, and adapt the content as long as you give appropriate credit and distribute your contributions under the same license.

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Magnus Hirschfeld and Germany’s pioneering role in LGBTQ+ rights

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Long before the Stonewall Riots ignited the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, Germany was a global pioneer in advancing understanding, acceptance, and advocacy for sexual minorities. At the heart of this movement was the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft (Institute for Sexual Science), founded by the visionary Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld in 1919. In this posts, we explore Germany’s early contributions to LGBTQ+ rights, the devastating impact of the Nazi regime on this progress, and the lasting consequences of the persecution faced by homosexuals during the Third Reich.

Stumbling upon history: The Stolpersteine project and its role in remembering Nazi victims

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In European and particularly German cities, you may encounter brass plaques, known as ‘Stolpersteine’ or ‘stumbling stones’, embedded in pavements in front of buildings. Inscribed with names and dates, these plaques memorialize victims of the Nazi regime at their last known addresses, serving as a poignant reminder of the individual lives lost during this dark period in Germany and our collective history and responsibility.

Consequences of the war for the people of Cologne

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The devastation of World War II left a profound impact on the people of Cologne, reshaping the city and its community in ways that would be felt for generations. As one of the most heavily bombed cities in Germany, Cologne endured near-total destruction of its infrastructure, economy, and cultural landmarks. Beyond the physical devastation, the war brought profound social, economic, and psychological consequences for the city’s inhabitants, challenging their resilience as they worked to rebuild their lives and community.

Acts of resistance in Cologne against the Nazi regime

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The Nazi regime sought to establish absolute control over Germany, enforcing its ideology through propaganda, legislation, and violence. Despite the immense risks, individuals and groups across the country resisted, determined to oppose oppression and fight for a more just society. Cologne, a historic city with a strong sense of community, became a focal point for numerous resistance efforts. This article explores some of the diverse acts of defiance in Cologne, where individuals from various backgrounds and beliefs stood against the Third Reich, often at great personal cost. Much of this information is based on sources provided by the NS Documentation Center, El-De Haus in Cologne, which I visited recently.

Youth resistance groups in Cologne against the Nazi regime

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‘Resistance’ under the Nazi regime often evokes images of organized military operations or clandestine political movements. However, throughout Germany, and especially in cities like Cologne, resistance also took root in less expected places: among the youth. Defying the rigid conformity demanded by the Nazis, many young people in Cologne organized into resistance groups, using whatever means they had to express their opposition to a regime that demanded obedience and submission. These youth resistance groups, often informal and decentralized, expressed their defiance in ways ranging from subtle acts of nonconformity to bold public protests. In this post, I highlight some of the most prominent youth groups in Cologne that opposed the Nazis, as presented in the El-De Haus exhibition. Their stories offer insight into the courage and resilience of the young people who resisted the oppressive Nazi regime.

Persecution of homosexuals under the Nazi regime

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‘Forgotten victims’ are those who were ostracized and persecuted during the Nazi era, but whose suffering continued beyond 1945. Even after the Nazi defeat, these individuals remained shunned and discriminated against, denied moral recognition as victims, official rehabilitation, and financial compensation. A special exhibition in the El-De Haus pays tribute to these victim groups and their suffering. Homosexuals were one of the groups that were persecuted. In this post, I summarize their plight as conveyed through my recent visit to the El-De Haus.

Forgotten victims of the Nazi regime: Roma and Sinti

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‘Forgotten victims’ are those who were ostracized and persecuted during the Nazi era, but whose suffering continued beyond 1945. Even after the Nazi defeat, these individuals remained shunned and discriminated against, denied moral recognition as victims, official rehabilitation, and financial compensation. A special exhibition in the El-De Haus pays tribute to these victim groups and their suffering. The group of Roma and Sinti was one of these forgotten victims. In this post, I summarize their plight as conveyed through my recent visit to the El-De Haus.

Forgotten victims of the Nazi regime: Disabled individuals

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‘Forgotten victims’ are those who were ostracized and persecuted during the Nazi era, but whose suffering continued beyond 1945. Even after the Nazi defeat, these individuals remained shunned and discriminated against, denied moral recognition as victims, official rehabilitation, and financial compensation. A special exhibition in the El-De Haus pays tribute to these victim groups and their suffering. Disabled individuals were among the groups that were persecuted. In this post, I summarize their plight as conveyed through my recent visit to the El-De Haus.

Forgotten Victims of the Nazi regime: ‘Social Outcasts’

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‘Forgotten victims’ are those who were ostracized and persecuted during the Nazi era, but whose suffering continued beyond 1945. Even after the Nazi defeat, these individuals remained shunned and discriminated against, denied moral recognition as victims, official rehabilitation, and financial compensation. A special exhibition in the El-De Haus pays tribute to these victim groups and their suffering. Among these groups were the so-called ‘asocials’ – people whom the Nazi regime saw as unfit for the ‘national community’. In this post, I summarize their plight as conveyed through my recent visit to the El-De Haus.

Fate of the Jews in Cologne under Nazi rule

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The Jewish community in Cologne, integral to the city’s cultural, social, and economic landscape, suffered profound persecution under Nazi rule. This persecution unfolded through escalating legal restrictions, economic disenfranchisement, social isolation, and, ultimately, deportation and genocide. The systematic dismantling of Jewish life in Cologne exemplifies the tragic fate of Jewish communities across Europe during the Holocaust. From my recent visit to the El-De Haus in Cologne, a former Gestapo headquarters and now a documentation center, I learned more about the Jewish experience in Cologne. Here is a summary of the exhibition, coupled with my reflections on this dark chapter in Cologne’s history.

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