CANDLELIT CHRONICLES: HISTORIC HAUNTS

Celebrating Political Dissidence

“I woke up this morning,


You were on my mind...”





I woke up this morning convinced this is the 91st anniversary of the summary execution and disappearance of Rosa Luxemburg, died Jan. 1919. Whoops-right year, right month, 3 days early. According to www.washingtonpost.com, Associate Press, and www.nytimes.com, Rosa and Karl Liebknecht, her compatriot, were executed on Jan. 15, 1919. I am 3 days early for the anniversary, and 2 days late to report on the annual pilgrimage to the East Berlin grave that is alleged to be Rosa's, but apparently is not. In fact, that burial site was emptied in 1935, by Nazi sympathizers, because Rosa and Karl had founded a Socialist organization that later emerged as Germany's first Communist Party.





So my entry on Rosa, who as a woman and historical figure fascinates me as much as does Victoria Woodhull of the 19th century, will wait until Friday, Jan. 15.





Meanwhile, I have more information of historical input to impart via blog entry this morning.





Rosa Luxemburg was imprisoned for her pacifist stance, during WWI. Her later activities took place in the interregnum after WWI, which ended in 1918, and she died in the first month of 1919. So let's for a moment move on to the next world war, WWII, and the plight of Jews and Gypsies and other “non-Aryans.”





We are all familiar-those of us past a certain young age-with the facts of Anne Frank, either by historical research, books, or films. Anne, her sisters, parents, along with four other Jews, hid in a secret annex, behind a warehouse on a canal. Alone they could not have managed, but kind-hearted Gentiles helped, bringing books and food, and cheer as they could. Yesterday the last remaining survivor of that precious group of rescuers passed away. Miep Gies, an office secretary at the time, was 100-a very courageous woman, and I hope her memory will remain.











Skipping ahead to post-WWII, here is yet another courageous-almost foolhardy-historical/contemporary female figure. Lyudmila M. Alexeyeva is 82 years old, and still active in protests against the current Russian regime. An amazing woman, she has survived more KGB interrogations than she can count, and her spirit is so potent that even at 82, in winter, she is out and about making her views clear.





http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011200554....


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/world/europe/12dissident.html?ref=todayspaper