Blog
-
Tracing the Lost World of Galicia: On Board Europeâs New Longest Train Route
door:
Starting July 31, 2026, European rail travel marks a quiet yet monumental milestone. Private operator Leo Express is transitioning its direct international service spanning over 1,900 kilometers from Frankfurt Airport in Germany all the way to PrzemyĆl GĆĂłwny in southeastern Polandâjust miles from the Ukrainian borderâto an all-rail operation. Clocking in at 19 hours and…
-
Unveiling a Second World War Deportation List from Antwerp
door:
A Forgotten List from the War Now Accessible at the Felix Archives Sometimes in genealogy, you come across documents that stop you in your tracks. Not just because of their historical importance, but because those documents suddenly connect to real lives, real families. Recently, such a document was added to the Felix Archives in Antwerp:…
-
CABR Files Now Searchable – But Still Only Viewable Onsite in The Hague
door:
Important news for anyone researching Dutch wartime history: the Central Archives for Special Criminal Jurisdiction (CABR) are now digitally searchable through the Nationaal Archiefâs online catalogue. While the complete files themselves remain accessible only onsite in The Hague, this new searchable index opens up major possibilities for genealogists, historians, and descendants seeking answers about World…
-
How to Leave Important Digital Documents for Your Loved Ones â Even After You’re Gone
door:
Recently, someone asked me for advice about a very personal and important issue: he wanted to leave behind a document for his children â something they would only receive after he had passed away. âIdeally, I would upload it to âthe cloud,â and give my children a code so they can access it when they…
-
Stolpersteine in Antwerp: From Controversy to Recognition
door:
In 2012, a heated controversy arose in Antwerp regarding the plan to install so-called Stolpersteine â literally âstumbling stones.â These memorial stones, an initiative by German artist Gunter Demnig, are embedded in the pavement in front of the former residences of people who were deported or murdered by the Nazis. The brass plaques bear the…
-
CABR files in Hague
door:
The original article first appeared in AVOTAYNU, the International Review of Jewish Genealogy, Vol. XXXV, no. 2, Summer 2019. End May 2018 I made contact, through MyHeritage (which is a very valuable tool for at least first contacts if not more), with descendants of one of my great-grandmother’s siblings from the Strauss family. During one…
-
The Joodsche Almanak / Almanach Juif issued in 1934 by J. Fuss and J. Salpeter
door:
In 1934 an almanac in Yiddish, titled “Joodsche Almanak” / “Almanach Juif”, was published by J. Fuss and J. Salpeter. Edition “ProgrĂ©s” was issued in Antwerp at Lange Kievitstraat 66. In the publishers’ introduction which was originally written in Yiddish, they explained the intention of the Almanac. For your convenience I have translated it into…
About Me
Gershon here â uncovering family stories, Jewish history, and hidden gems from the past. Sharing archives, research tips, and personal discoveries from near and far.