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Tagged With "history"

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Re: Finding Reiner #6: Frozen Grave

Paul Heymont ·
Just to add a note: on our way to Mont-Saint-Michel this morning, we noticed signs pointing to a Deutschesoldatenfriedhof, or German Soldiers' Cemetery. Curiosity took us to it and we were surprised by its story. It was constructed in 1961 for reburial of soldiers who had been buried in small locations all over Normandy, the Channel Islands and other nearby areas. It is a solemn place, and quiet, and the spirit expressed in the signs and in the design was one of reconciliation and hope for...
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Re: Finding Reiner #6: Frozen Grave

HistoryDigger ·
Paul, Thanks for that note about the German cemetery in France. I may make a trip to several of these war cemeteries on my next trip overseas. I just heard from the German War Graves Commission this morning with more photos of Reiner's grave.
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Re: Finding Reiner: Disaster to Discovery

Paul Heymont ·
Thanks for the start of an extraordinary journey, which also reminds us that travel isn't only for pleasure, or even always voluntary. It is also important for us never to reduce history to acts of state and leaders and lose sight of all the Reiners of the world.
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Re: Finding Reiner: Disaster to Discovery

Travel Rob ·
What a discovery! And thanks for taking us along. I can't wait to hear what happens.
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Re: Finding Reiner: Disaster to Discovery

DrFumblefinger ·
Baited, hooked and (almost) landed, like I'm some kind of reading marlin! Can't wait for the next installment! Wonderfully done, HistoryDigger! Thanks so much for sharing this story with us!
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Re: Finding Reiner: Disaster to Discovery

Sarah Towle ·
Fantastic! A WWII story, personal journey and travel story all rolled into one! I'm totally hooked and will be following your unfolding story this summer, Whitney! All luck!
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Re: Finding Reiner: Disaster to Discovery

vivie ·
Merveilleux!! Un vrai bijou! Thanks so much for sharing this amazing story. Can't wait to read more.
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Re: Finding Reiner: Disaster to Discovery

HistoryDigger ·
Merci bien, Vivie. À Dimanche.
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Re: Finding Reiner: Disaster to Discovery

Jessica Meddows ·
This really is a wonderful post, Whitney. I love the family history you have there. And fantastic photos! I'm looking forward to reading more of your writing.
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Re: Finding Reiner: Disaster to Discovery

HistoryDigger ·
Thanks, Jessica, for your kind words. I'll check out your blog as well.
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Re: Finding Reiner #2: Chasing Ghosts

vivie ·
what a great way to start a Sunday! can't wait to read more. I'm with you in spirit Merci pour ce beau partage historique et familial.
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Re: Finding Reiner #2: Chasing Ghosts

HistoryDigger ·
Merci encore une fois, Vivie. Je suis sur le point de partir. Thanks for reading. I'm about to depart. Hope you'll follow along.
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Re: Finding Reiner #2: Chasing Ghosts

Travel Rob ·
I found myself racing to the computer this morning to read Part 2 of your incredible and moving series. It's made me reflect on what war does to a family .
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Re: Finding Reiner #2: Chasing Ghosts

DrFumblefinger ·
Another brilliant post, HistoryDigger! Thanks. I think you've described the situation many young German men were in, and it's a lesson for all of us to fight tyranny at every step and with all we have. It is also a reminder to me how a government that is "a friend of the people" can crush those same people if their power isn't checked. After the Nazis had seized power, there was no tolerance for dissent. You were either with them -- or you were in big big trouble (possibly even fatal...
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Re: Finding Reiner #2: Chasing Ghosts

Bluragger ·
Here we go! I am so eager to learn more about that old house which is pictured so beautifully in the mountain idyll of Poland. My fantasy is of undiscovered family treasures in the attic which the Polish police, who now occupy that building, would gladly be rid of. Whit, don't forget to search the attic when you get there. Ha! I am sure glad you are Finding Reiner.
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Re: Finding Reiner #2: Chasing Ghosts

HistoryDigger ·
Dr. Fumblefinger—yours is a fascinating response. How lucky your father was to have escaped and survived. I'm glad he told you his story, which I would like to hear. Where was he from? Reiner's family members were also born in now Poland. Episode 3 will detail more of the Nazi oppression in Cologne that trapped Reiner and his family.
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Re: Finding Reiner #2: Chasing Ghosts

Sarah Towle ·
So compelling! Keep the posts coming. I'm hooked! Absolutely.
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Re: Finding Reiner #3: Inside Old Shadows

Bluragger ·
Reiner was such a dutiful letter writer that we have this info allowing us to retrace these steps. Amazing resources - Reiner's letters and Whit's dogged research. Loving this story more each day.
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Re: Finding Reiner #3: Inside Old Shadows

Mac ·
This makes a fascinating read, well done! My father-in-law Hans Esser was from Cologne (had sung as part of the choir in Cologne cathedral) and served on submarines (unwillingly) during the 2nd W.W. war. Their sub was attacked several times and finally they were forced to surrender. He was taken prisoner and interned in England. The prisoners then helped on the local farms which was where he met his future wife Vera. They married just after the end of the war and had the difficult privilege...
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Re: Finding Reiner #3: Inside Old Shadows

HistoryDigger ·
Mac-TG Guru--Fascinating story, yours. Your parents' romance reminds me of such fictional stories in the British series Foyle's War . Have you seen that? The show highlights romance between German POWs and English farm girls. I would love to know more of your father's history. I also wish I could interview your father or find other elderly residents who remember life here during the war. So much better when it comes from a resident than from a historian who was not here then. How long were...
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Re: Finding Reiner #3: Inside Old Shadows

Paul Heymont ·
Thank you for the continuing story, and especially to the link for the Stolpersteine. It is so important (I keep saying this!) for us to remember the people more than the "leaders," and not allow them to become mere numbers.
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Re: Finding Reiner #3: Inside Old Shadows

Travel Rob ·
Whitney your story about Reiner and retracing his steps gets people thinking about their own life and family too, so beyond being fascinating history, it's very relevant to us all.25 years ago this summer I went through an incredible ordeal in Europe. Your journey for Reiner has me thinking back to that time and has me thinking of retracing some steps too.Keep it up and thank you!
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Re: Finding Reiner #3: Inside Old Shadows

HistoryDigger ·
Travel Rob, I hope we will hear more about your ordeal. You've got me hooked with that teaser line.
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Re: The Maltese Islands – Underrated gems or best kept secret ?

Former Member ·
What an interesting group of islands. Thanks so much for this article. Wondering - Do people get around mostly by boat ? Is English widely spoken ?
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Re: The Maltese Islands – Underrated gems or best kept secret ?

IslandMan ·
Hello F-car, people mainly use their cars to get around, which is a pity as the roads are not the best and there are far too many cars for the roads to cope with. There is an extensive bus network which I found more preferable to driving. Boats are used more for leisure but there are many fisherman who make their living from the sea. Although the Maltese have their own language, English is widely spoken and visitors get by without problems. Many locals also speak Italian (them being our...
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Re: The Maltese Islands – Underrated gems or best kept secret ?

Travel Rob ·
Thanks so much Island Man.What a great post! I'll definetly include a visit to Malta in my future travel plans.
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Re: The Alcazar of Jerez: A Window into History

PortMoresby ·
Consider that an extra big "like".
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Palm Springs Air Museum, California (Where Gumbo was #104)

DrFumblefinger ·
  Gumbo was visiting the Palm Springs Air Museum in the California desert, and specifically had the privilege of sitting in the cockpit of a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber (like the one in the above photo).  Congratulations to the many who...
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South Beach Miami - A walk through Art Deco History

Jonathan L ·
  South Miami Beach is probably one of the most photographed cities in the United States. It is home to what may be the densest collection of art deco architecture in the United States. It is hard to find something new to say, in fact, when I...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, February 26, 2014: The Hope Diamond, Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.

Ottoman ·
  Throughout my academic life I have come across the famed Hope Diamond.  In elementary school I remember seeing photos of this magnificent gem.  In middle school I remember hearing stories of its notorious curse.  In high school...
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Old Town Sacramento: a trip through California's History

Jonathan L ·
Sacramento's Old Town gives JonathanL insights into California's history and an opportunity to visit a great railroad museum.
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Remember the Alamo? A Unique History Lesson

Samantha ·
Samantha guides us through the scene of the most famous event in Texas history, even if the facts are still under debate.
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The Banff Park Museum National Historic Site. Where Gumbo was #(133)

DrFumblefinger ·
    Gumbo was visiting Western Canada's oldest Natural History Museum, the quirky yet fascinating Banff Park Museum National Historic Site .   Gumbo first visited this museum as a boy decades ago and it's one of the few things...
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The Acadian Village in Caraquet, New Brunswick,Canada

Travel Rob ·
  I love visiting historical villages and living folk museums whenever I travel but nothing prepared me for just how special and moving the Historical Acadian Village in Caraquet, New Brunswick, Canada was.      What makes...
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Chicago's History Museum knows the city's story

Paul Heymont ·
When it comes to the great Chicago Fire of 1871, seen in a diorama above, the Chicago History Museum knows all about it: The museum, founded in 1856, was destroyed in the fire and had to start again from scratch—only to burn again in 1874....
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Miscou Island Lighthouse, New Brunswick, Canada (Where Gumbo Was, #134)

Travel Rob ·
   Gumbo was at The Miscou Island Lighthouse, and believe it or not, no one solved the puzzle this week.   The lighthouse was built in 1856 and is a designated a National Historic Site in Canada. They gives tours in the...
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Nov. 22, 2017: 8 Free Things to do in St. Louis

Samantha ·
Here's a second helping of Samantha's discovery of great free things to do in St. Louis.
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Carnegie Museums and the University of Pittsburgh

Jonathan L ·
Jonathan L takes us to the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, home to universities and museums.
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 16: Hawaiian History

Paul Heymont ·
Ancient bathers share the beach with modern visitors at Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. The park is a bit south of Kona, on the west side of the island, and on the way to Volcano National Park....
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Finding Reiner #7: Shrapnel & Bones

HistoryDigger ·
    Paweł and I are back in his little red car on one-lane Polish roads behind tractors. Google Maps underestimates our driving time, and we’re going nowhere fast. Nothing fazes Paweł though, and he's ready with cameras for any kind of...
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Finding Reiner #8: Trail's End?

HistoryDigger ·
  I’m reluctant to say goodbye to Łukasz and his family because now I want to buy my own metal detector and continue digging in Poland. But, Paweł and I have a long drive ahead to Świeradów Zdrój , a Polish spa town in the...
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Finding Reiner: Disaster to Discovery

HistoryDigger ·
On Monday August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. My son, my elderly German mother-in-law, Lütte, and I were hunkered down in my husband’s office at Tulane Medical School. Our decision to stay seemed smart at the time. My...
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Marseille's History Museum: Links to Past and Future

Paul Heymont ·
When we first visited Marseille's museum of the city's history, we found it fascinating; when we heard it had expanded and improved as part of last year's Capital of Culture celebration, we knew we'd be back. Model at top shows what remains above...
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Finding Reiner #6: Frozen Grave

HistoryDigger ·
" To be honest, I no longer try to calculate how things are going to turn out in this war. No one is going to escape unscathed. One must not be miserly with the little life that we have. Those who are anxious and fearful, they will be struck first....
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Finding Reiner #3: Inside Old Shadows

HistoryDigger ·
My “Finding Reiner” blog continues to be a challenge in crossing historical time zones. Reiner’s old letters describe his school and neighborhood, and I search 1940s maps and the Internet to find my route to his past. If I had...
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Finding Reiner #2: Chasing Ghosts

HistoryDigger ·
I'm deep into last-minute research for my "Finding Reiner" adventure. My suitcase is  packed with device chargers, plug adaptors, Swiss Army knives, bandaids, spare batteries, and clip-on, flat water flasks for the trail. But, my desk is covered...
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Can't get to Vienna? Google offers virtual tours

Paul Heymont ·
Google's Street View technology makes it possible to visit important sites and attractions with the trip.
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What Shakespeare Saw: A London listing

Paul Heymont ·
The Telegraph (UK) has compiled a walkable tour of what Shakespeare saw in London that you can see today.
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Jan. 11, 2017: Aliiolani Hale in Waikiki - aka the Hawaii 5.0 Building

Samantha ·
Actually a judicial history museum, it's known to millions for its role as a backdrop for the Hawaii police drama. Samantha shows us around.
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Dozza, Italy: City of Art and History

Jonathan L ·
Jonathan L takes us on a tour of Dozza, Italy. Home to a biennial art festival and a medieval castle
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