askhistorians

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How did contemporary German civilians view the Nuremberg trials?	364
What do serious historians think of "Godwin's Law"? Are all conceivable comparisons of current events to Nazi Germany automatically invalid? Does popular acceptance of "Godwin's Law" mean that we think nothing like the Third Reich can ever happen again?	17
A documentary about Simon Wiesenthal asserts that after Mauthausen was liberated, the Americans set up a system whereby prisoners were given "permits" to come and go from the camp as they wished. Is this correct? If so, what was the thinking behind issuing "permits" to be let out of a death camp?	14
In the world before the invention of radio and mass media, how widely-known were famous composers of the Classical era during their own time?	14
How was the currently "standard" size of a cigarette agreed upon? Why are cigarettes the size they are, instead of being (let's say) 3 feet long and as big around as a cigar?	9
What's the earliest known documentation of someone explicitly describing the effects of marijuana or hallucinogenic mushrooms?	5
For obvious reasons, the surname "Hitler" fell into disuse after WWII. Are there other, earlier instances of family names that became "extinct" (or nearly so) simply due to the reputation of its most [in]famous bearer?	3
Have any important ancient historical figures, places, or events that we now know fairly well ever gone through a period of complete obscurity?	2
What current-day musical compositions are likely to be studied and emulated 200 years from now?	1
Are current-day North Korean prison camps substantially comparable to Nazi Germany concentration/extermination camps?	1

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