One small act in this world, whether it is significant or not, can change the life of someone forever. Miep Gies, a woman who once went unknown to the world, once said, “But even an ordinary secretary or a housewife or a teenager can, within their own small ways, turn on a small light in a dark room.” (Goodreads 1). The woman who went unheard of by the world around her, turned on this light during the dark experiences of World War II. From being a small business secretary to saving the lives of people around her, Miep Gies made a name for herself, and that name is now well known by many. All it took was one simple action of kindness for the world to remember her name, and now we celebrate the actions Miep made and the lives she changed. Even though Miep Gies only helped minorly during World War II, she is still seen as a truly significant figure across the globe to date.
Miep Gies, a significant figure in history, lived through quite a journey, and her background story is definitely one for the books. Gies, who was originally Hermine Santruschitz, was born in Vienna on February 15, 1909 but became ill at a young age and was forced leave her Austrian parents to travel to the Netherlands to live with her new foster family (5). This move was caused by World War I and the food shortages that had struck in several countries (5). In the 1920’s, Miep was placed with a family in Leiden, where she received the nickname Miep Gies, and later moved with her newly founded family to Amsterdam, where her story begins (5). Miep graduated at 18, and worked till 24 at textile company, until she was laid off because of the depression. After being unemployed for a period of time, Gies received news of a secretary position at Nederlandsche Ope...
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Often, we find ourselves facing dramatic events in our lives that force us to re-evaluate and redefine ourselves. Such extraordinary circumstances try to crush the heart of the human nature in us. It is at that time, like a carbon under pressure, the humanity in us either shatters apart exposing our primal nature, or transforms into a strong, crystal-clear brilliant of compassion and self sacrifice. The books Night written by Elie Wiesel and Hiroshima written by John Hersey illustrate how the usual lifestyle might un-expectantly change, and how these changes could affect the human within us. Both books display how lives of civilians were interrupted by the World War II, what devastations these people had to undergo, and how the horrific circumstances of war were sometimes able to bring out the best in ordinary people.
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The Ghetto’s Fighter House Institution is located outside of Akko, Israel. This institution includes Jewish artworks, photographs, and writin...
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Miep was not being a hero figure because she didn’t care about any of that. She only cared about getting them food and making sure their ok. She risked getting caught and sent to prison and who knows maybe they would have taken her to a concentration camp. They felt like they were being kind in helping them because it's not like they were forced to do it but that they did it because they wanted to.i would have done the same even though i could have been arrested I still would have done it because i would have been helping people for the right
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During the Holocaust over 6 million people were killed. But many people still suffered outside of the matter. According to Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, 8 people, which included the Franks, Van Daans, and Mr Dussel, all stayed in a secret annex for over two years hiding from Nazis and waiting for allied countries to save them. As time passed many
The name “Anne Frank” is synonymous with hope, optimism, and belief in human good, even in times of relentless evil. Although she only lived to be fifteen, Anne is known and respected throughout the world for the humanistic light her work shed on an infamous time. Born June 12th, 1929, in Germany, she spent her early years in a middle-class Jewish-German family. However, the tranquility of the Frank family and 522,000 other German-Jews’ would be shattered by one of the most nefarious events in history, the Holocaust. Anne’s diary became an influential resource in understanding historical and emotional aspects of the Holocaust. Although she was young, Anne Frank is the greatest diarist of European history because she preserved a critical time in history, her work captured the human experience of the Holocaust, and her ideals of hope and optimism remain influential throughout our world today.
"A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust-Victims." A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust-Victims. University of South Florida. Web. 19 May 2014.
Nehemiah’s gift of public speaking evokes the displaced people of Jerusalem, to realize the potential of the city. Nehemiah provides decisive responses to the problems he will face, and his unselfish behavior is for the good of Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s knowledge of coordinating building projects, and at the same time, managing opposition on many fronts, shows the organizational qualities he possesses.