World War II - DER SPIEGEL

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World War II

World War II brought more suffering to humanity than any other event in the 20th century. Nearly 60 million people died throughout six years of war, which saw atomic bombs, cities flattened and the Holocaust. Out of the war sprung the atomic age, the Cold War and the division of Germany.

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How DER SPIEGEL processed the data from the NSDAP membership card file - [M] Lea Rossa / DER SPIEGEL; Peer Grimm / dpa / picture alliance

How DER SPIEGEL processed the data from the NSDAP membership card file - [M] Lea Rossa / DER SPIEGEL; Peer Grimm / dpa / picture alliance

NSDAP membership card file How DER SPIEGEL processed the data from the NSDAP membership card file

Where does the data come from? What do the matches mean? What errors exist? And what does the date of joining reveal about entanglement with Hitler’s regime? Here you can find the answers to the most important questions about the Nazi card file.

Interactive Research Tool for Nazi Past Was Your Grandpa in the SS? Find Out in Our Updated Nazi Files

DER SPIEGEL has cross-referenced hundreds of thousands of SS files with the millions of NSDAP membership cards. Here, you can search through the updated files and find clues as to possible SS membership.

"My Grandmother Said We Had Nothing to Do With the Nazis. A Fat Lie." - Nazi-Offiziere und SS-Helferinnen im Sommer 1944 auf einer Holzbrücke im SS-Erholungsheim Solahütte nahe Auschwitz [M] DER SPIEGEL; Foto: U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum / dpa / picture alliance

"My Grandmother Said We Had Nothing to Do With the Nazis. A Fat Lie." - Nazi-Offiziere und SS-Helferinnen im Sommer 1944 auf einer Holzbrücke im SS-Erholungsheim Solahütte nahe Auschwitz [M] DER SPIEGEL; Foto: U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum / dpa / picture alliance

Familien im Nationalsozialismus "My Grandmother Said We Had Nothing to Do With the Nazis. A Fat Lie."

What did Grandpa do in the war? Many German families spent decades dodging that question. But now that Nazi membership files are online, the time for reckoning has arrived. Here are their stories. by Cathrin Schmiegel und Max Polonyi

Nazi Card Index Digitized The Lies Come to an End

Over ten million people were in Hitler’s party, many keeping it secret for life. Now the registry is online, exposing Grandpa or Grandma with a few clicks. How is this new knowledge affecting Germany?

How Hannah Arendt Helps Us Understand Our World - UPI / dpa

How Hannah Arendt Helps Us Understand Our World - UPI / dpa

Never Out of Date How Hannah Arendt Helps Us Understand Our World

Fifty years after her death in New York, Hannah Arendt has become the most popular philosopher of our time. For good reason: Her views are just as timely as ever. By Tobias Rapp

Looking Back at World War II Family Histories - [M] Scherl / SZ Photo, C. Schlegelmilch / akg-images, Sergey Ryumin / Getty Images

Looking Back at World War II Family Histories - [M] Scherl / SZ Photo, C. Schlegelmilch / akg-images, Sergey Ryumin / Getty Images

Breaking the Silence Looking Back at World War II Family Histories

Surveys in recent years have shown that many Germans want to believe that their ancestors had nothing to do with the crimes committed by Nazi Germany. Members of the younger generation, though, now want to know for sure - also out of concern for Germany's political future. By Susanne Beyer

"If You Only Knew How Many Jews I Have Shot" - Tauno Aarni / SA-kuva / Finnish Army picture archives

"If You Only Knew How Many Jews I Have Shot" - Tauno Aarni / SA-kuva / Finnish Army picture archives

Finland Confronts Its WWII History "If You Only Knew How Many Jews I Have Shot"

Hundreds of Finns fought with the German Waffen-SS in Ukraine during World War II. New research shows that many of them were convinced Nazis and may have committed atrocities. The finding has triggered a debate in Finland. By Martin Pfaffenzeller in Helsinki

"It's Difficult to Put Up with These Old Germans" - Jens Schwarz / DER SPIEGEL

"It's Difficult to Put Up with These Old Germans" - Jens Schwarz / DER SPIEGEL

A Holocaust Survivor Speaks of Her Anger "It's Difficult to Put Up with These Old Germans"

As a young child, Eva Umlauf spent several months in Auschwitz. Today, she speaks to German schoolchildren and is a sought-after orator for commemoration ceremonies. She still can't forgive the Germans. By Timofey Neshitov

A Sudden, Ominous Sense of Insecurity - Paula Markert, Lena Giovanazzi, Katrin Binner, Marina Weigl / DER SPIEGEL

A Sudden, Ominous Sense of Insecurity - Paula Markert, Lena Giovanazzi, Katrin Binner, Marina Weigl / DER SPIEGEL

Jewish Life in Germany A Sudden, Ominous Sense of Insecurity

Eighty-five years have passed since the Nazis launched their first comprehensive pogroms against Jewish life in Germany. This year, the Hamas massacre in Israel – and the lack of support many Jews across the country feel they have received – has revived old fears.

A New Wave of Anti-Semitism Sweeps Across Germany - Stefan Boness / IPON

A New Wave of Anti-Semitism Sweeps Across Germany - Stefan Boness / IPON

"Absolutely Appalling" A New Wave of Anti-Semitism Sweeps Across Germany

Hamas' terror and Israel's counterattacks have unleashed levels of anti-Semitism not seen in years in Germany. Jews are living in fear and now wonder if they should leave the country. The political response so far appears to be doing little to change the situation.

A New Look at the Great Quedlinburg Art Robbery - Elmar Egner M. A. / Domschatz Quedlinburg

A New Look at the Great Quedlinburg Art Robbery - Elmar Egner M. A. / Domschatz Quedlinburg

Shadows of World War II A New Look at the Great Quedlinburg Art Robbery

In 1945, an American officer pilfered valuable pieces from Germany's most important art collection and sent them to Texas, setting off a long search for the items. Now, experts are wondering: Was he just a simple thief? Or was he trying to save the treasure from the Nazis? By Frank Thadeusz

"Putin Wants to Be Feared – Like Stalin and Hitler" - Evgeny Biyatov / dpa

"Putin Wants to Be Feared – Like Stalin and Hitler" - Evgeny Biyatov / dpa

British Historian Antony Beevor "Putin Wants to Be Feared – Like Stalin and Hitler"

British historian Antony Beevor sees Russia as a "prisoner of its past." In an interview, the historian discusses why Putin's invasion of Ukraine reminds him of Soviet military attacks from the past - and what mistakes the Russian army has made. Interview Conducted by Peter Littger

Germans Reflect on the Allies’ Arrival in Europe in 1945 - BETTMANN / GETTY IMAGES

Germans Reflect on the Allies’ Arrival in Europe in 1945 - BETTMANN / GETTY IMAGES

The Summer of Liberation Germans Reflect on the Allies’ Arrival in Europe in 1945

After the Allies defeated Germany and ended World War II in Europe in summer 1945, peace finally prevailed on the Continent. The Germans were beaten, desperate and ashamed, but also ready to get back to normal life following the trauma. By DER SPIEGEL Staff

Two Soldiers Recall the Liberation of Dachau and Auschwitz - Sara Naomi Lewkowicz / DER SPIEGEL

Two Soldiers Recall the Liberation of Dachau and Auschwitz - Sara Naomi Lewkowicz / DER SPIEGEL

Freeing the Prisoners Two Soldiers Recall the Liberation of Dachau and Auschwitz

Seventy-five years ago, Auschwitz was liberated, with Dachau to follow a couple of months later. Here, a Soviet soldier and an American soldier recall the moment they first set eyes on the camps. By Susanne Beyer, Christian Esch und René Pfister

"For A Long Time Now, Words Have Not Been Enough" - Clodagh Kilcoyne/ REUTERS

"For A Long Time Now, Words Have Not Been Enough" - Clodagh Kilcoyne/ REUTERS

German Foreign Minister on the Legacy of the Holocaust "For A Long Time Now, Words Have Not Been Enough"

Speeches and warnings are insufficient when it comes to anti-Semitism in Germany and Europe. We need concrete programs to counter the hatred of Jews, including better education and harsher penalties. An Op-Ed by Heiko Maas

Is Armed Conflict Possible in Today's Europe? - Dmitri Baltermants

Is Armed Conflict Possible in Today's Europe? - Dmitri Baltermants

World War II Anniversary Is Armed Conflict Possible in Today's Europe?

Europe has been largely peaceful since the end of World War II. The shock of that conflict was simply too great. But with memories of the violence now fading and nationalism on the rise, it is far from certain that peace will remain the status quo. Von Dirk Kurbjuweit

Time for a New Look at Nazi Art - Jeff Elkins/ Washingtonian

Time for a New Look at Nazi Art - Jeff Elkins/ Washingtonian

A Hidden Legacy Time for a New Look at Nazi Art

Thousands of artworks from the Nazi period lie hidden away in storage depots, far from the public eye. The U.S. also holds a number of paintings, drawings and sculptures from the Third Reich under lock and key. It is time that they be more closely examined. Von Ulrike Knöfel

The Comeback of a Soviet Dictator - Max Sher/ DER SPIEGEL

The Comeback of a Soviet Dictator - Max Sher/ DER SPIEGEL

Honoring Stalin The Comeback of a Soviet Dictator

After he died in 1953, Stalin was quickly erased from the public eye in the Soviet Union. These days, though, he is making a comeback, with statues and plaques honoring the dictator going up throughout Russia. Why are people honoring a mass killer? Von Timofey Neshitov

'You Can't Report Your Own Father!' - privat

'You Can't Report Your Own Father!' - privat

A Nazi Critic and a Gestapo Spy 'You Can't Report Your Own Father!'

The Gestapo spy Paul Reckzeh denounced a group of Nazi critics in Berlin and two of them were executed. Irmgard Ruppel was the last survivor of the group, and in an interview five decades later, she told the story of what happened. Von Marianne Wellershoff

The Immense Challenge of Preserving Auschwitz - Sven Doering/ DER SPIEGEL

The Immense Challenge of Preserving Auschwitz - Sven Doering/ DER SPIEGEL

Saving a Memorial The Immense Challenge of Preserving Auschwitz

Conservators at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial are doing all they can to preserve artifacts left behind by those murdered at the camp in the Holocaust. Structures, too, need refurbishment. But the goal of authenticity is a difficult one to reach. Von Martin Doerry

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