Mengele, the “Angel of Death,” was an SS officer and doctor in the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz. He supervised the selection of arriving transports of prisoners, determining who would be killed immediately and who would be a forced laborer. He also selected inmates to be test subjects in horrific experiments, during which they were frequently subjected to sterilization surgeries, limb amputations, injections into the eyes, and other brutal procedures. What became of Mengele after the war? Discuss
Month: March 2022
roll (one's) eyes
To turn one’s eyes upward or around in a circle, usually as an expression of exasperation, annoyance, impatience, or disdain. Watch the video
The Milgram Experiment: Obedience vs. Conscience
The Milgram experiment, a famous scientific experiment of social psychology, was designed to measure the willingness of a person to follow orders when those orders conflict with their conscience. Stanley Milgram devised the experiment in an attempt to understand the behavior of Nazi soldiers during the Holocaust. What was involved in Milgram’s experiment, and what were his results? Discuss
assuage
trifle
bagatelle – From French or Italian for “trick” or “trifle.” More…
burlesque – From French, which got it from Italian burlesco, a derivative of burla, “joke, fun”—which may have come from Latin burra, “trifle.” More…
trifle – In the sense of the dessert, it gets its name from being a “light” confection. More…
trifle – From French truffle/truffe, “deceit, trickery.” More…
Rolls-Royce Limited Is Founded (1906)
In 1904, engineer Frederick Henry Royce made his first car and was introduced to Charles Stewart Rolls, who owned a car dealership. The pair agreed to a deal in which Royce would manufacture cars to be sold by Rolls. They decided that the cars would be called “Rolls-Royce,” and their British luxury car company was born. Though their “Silver Ghost” model brought early fame, World War I temporarily eliminated demand for luxury cars. What did Rolls-Royce do in order to stay in business? Discuss
Hungary Revolution and Independence Day
On March 15, Hungarians observe the anniversary of the beginning of the revolution in 1848 against the Habsburg monarchy. The revolutionaries called for the creation of a nation-state with freedom of the press and an independent parliamentary government. In 1989, celebrations were open for the first time since the Soviet invasion, and took place all over the country. Discuss
Zarah Leander (1907)
Leander was a Swedish actress and singer. As a contracted performer with Germany’s principal film studio, Leander made a number of successful films that contributed to the Third Reich’s propaganda. Though Leander did not take part in official Nazi party functions, her association with Nazism caused her to be shunned in Sweden after the war. She resumed acting but never regained the popularity she had enjoyed before. Why did Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels dub her an “Enemy of Germany”? Discuss
rolling in dough
Exceptionally wealthy; having large amounts of money to spend. Watch the video
Oil Platforms
An oil platform is a large structure used to house workers and machinery needed to drill and then produce oil and natural gas in the ocean. Depending on the circumstances, the platform may be attached to the ocean floor, consist of an artificial island or be floating. What are the risks and environmental costs associated with oil platforms? Discuss