History

StoryCorps: Strangers helped a child survive the Holocaust. Then they became his family
At age 11, Philip Lazowski found himself alone in a Nazi ghetto as Jews were being sent to their deaths during World War II. At StoryCorps, Philip, now 91, remembered how quick thinking and a woman's kindness in that moment saved his life.
The story of marriage equality is more complicated — and costly — than you remember
Sasha Issenberg, author of “The Engagement,” a history of marriage equality, says he doesn't see the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges being overturned anytime soon.
Racial reckoning turns focus to roadside historical markers
Pennsylvania is reviewing its 2,500 roadside markers, scrutinizing factual errors, inadequate historical context, and racist or otherwise inappropriate references.
4 of the biggest archeological advancements of 2021 — including one 'game changer'
Global lockdowns and political strife made it a tough year for archaeologists, at least in terms of getting out to excavation sites. But while there was less time spent digging, 2021 was still a good year in archaeology.
Envisioning the evil of the Holocaust at the Minneapolis Institute of Art
In his monumental “Nazi Drawings” from the 1960s, Mauricio Lasansky confronted the atrocities of the Holocaust. Those works are now on view once again at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and two of the people behind the exhibition told host Cathy Wurzer about the show’s power and relevance.
StoryCorps: The day Santas stormed Macy's to protest for AIDS awareness
On Black Friday 1991, AIDS activists protested the department store's decision to not rehire a Santa who had HIV. At StoryCorps, the man who inspired the protest reconnected with an activist who helped organize it.
'Christmas of Swing' honors WWII veterans through letters and song
The U.S. entered World War II 80 years ago this month, and as Americans in the military went out to fight, they sent back letters to friends and family filled with stories. Now, the History Theatre in St. Paul is bringing some of those stories together on stage, including four people from the north side of Minneapolis whose parts in the war effort were different, but very important.
Native American students unearth troubled history at U of M Morris
Archival research suggests as many as seven students from the Morris Industrial School for Indians could be buried on campus. Today, Native American students attend the university for free — but there’s a cost to reckoning with the site’s troubled history.