Netherlands

General

At the time of the German occupation in May,1940, the Jewish population was about 140,000, or 1.6 of the total population of the Netherlands. Anti-Jewish measures began in September. In 1941, a Jewish Council was established by the Nazis (Joodse Raad) to coordinate all Jewish affairs. The first efforts of the Germans were aimed at separating the Jews from the general population. Next came the plundering of Jewish property. Well over $100,000,000 of assets were extracted through various methods. Then came deportations. It is estimated that 107,000 Dutch Jews were deported, of which only 5,200 survived.

Camps

Amersfoort-- Amersfoort was the site of a political transit camp for political prisoners (Polizeiliches Durchgangslager), in which many prominent Dutch Jews were imprisoned and tortured. The survivors were sent on to Westerbork, and from there directly to Auschwitz or Sobibor. There were hardly any Jews among the 415 survivors at the time the camp was liberated.

Currency-- Below are thumbnails of the front and back of a 10 cent canteen money for the Polizeiliches Durchgangslager for political prisoners at Amersfort. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Currency" in the left frame to return.

Barneveld-- Barneveld was the site of a camp where about 700 prominent Dutch Jews were interned. Most of these Jews survived the war and were referred to as the "Barneveld Group", This group was created when K. L. Frederiks, then the Permanent Secretary of the Dutch Ministry of Home Affairs, compiled a list of 'deserving Dutch Jews.' Artists, doctors and industrialists found a much-coveted place on 'Frederik's list,' but hundreds were refused.

Parcel Acknowledgement-- Below are thumbnails of the front and back of a receipt confirmation card for a package sent to a Jewish prisoner at Barneveld from the Judenrat in Tilburg. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Parcel Acknowledgement" in the left frame to return.

Miscellaneous-- A well organized effort, financed by aid organizations and individual Jews abroad, was started in Portugal and Switzerland to supply basic needs to the victims confined to ghettos and camps. Below is a thumbnail of a Portuguese preprinted export form from the firm of "Sam Amon" pertaining to the export of fish to Barneveld camp. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Miscellaneous" in the left frame to return.

Westerbork-- Westerbork was a camp situated in the northeastern section of the Netherlands, near the German border. From 1942 to 1944, the camp served as a transit camp for Jews who were being deported from the Netherlands to eastern Europe. The camp had been established on October, 1939 by the Dutch government to house Jewish refugees who had entered the country illegally. The costs of putting up the camp and its maintenance were charged to the Jewish Refugee Committee in the Netherlands. On July 1, 1942, the German Security Police took over control of the camp. Westerbork was the principal camp from which Jews were deported to Poland. A total of almost 100,000 Jews were deported from Westerbork, with the bulk going to Auschwitz and Sobibor.

Covers-- Below are thumbnails of the front and back of two covers to Vienna from an inmate, Fritz Laufer, at Westerbork. According to The Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names, he was sent to Theresienstadt on September 6, 1944, and from there to Auschwitz on September 29, 1944. He died prior to the end of the war. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Covers" in the left frame to return.

Currency-- Below are thumbnails of the front and back of four denominations of notes printed for use in the camp: 10 cents; 25 cents; 50 cents; and 100 cents. Each denomination was printed in three series: AA; BB; and CC. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Currency" in the left frame to return.

Identity Card-- Below is a thumbnail of an identity card issued to Sippora Davids on August 13, 1941, by Lager Westerbork. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Identity Card" in the left frame to return.

Lettersheets-- Below are thumbnails of two lettersheets. The first is a lettersheet postmarked December 11, 1943, addressed to Amsterdam. The letter contains a Simon type 2 censor cancel. The second is a ettersheet postmarked July 27, 1944, with a Simon type 2 censor cancel and an Assen cancellation. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Lettersheets" in the left frame to return.

Parcel Acknowledement-- Below are thumbnails of the front and back of two parcel receipt confirmation cards for packages sent to Jewish prisoners at Westerbork from the Judenrat in Tilburg. The first is postmarked September 9, 1943, and the second is postmarked October 12, 1943. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Parcel Acknowledgement" in the left frame to return.

Parcel Receipts-- Below are thumbnails of the front and back of two parcel receipts for packages sent to a Westerbork inmate, Harry Juras, from Gouda, Holland. The first is postmarked November 11, 1943, and the second is December 13, 1943. According to the Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names, he was transferred to Theresienstadt on February 2, 1944, and from there to Auschwitz on September 28, 1944. He died at Auschwitz on February 28, 1945. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Parcel Receipts" in the left frame to return.

Postcards-- Below are thumbnails of the front and back of four postcards. The first item is a registered postcard (Assen) from Westerbork dated November 27, 1943. It contains a large censor-cancel in red (Simon type 1) and a censor-cancel in latin letters (Simon type 3). The card was from an inmate, Mozes Hijmans, who, according to the Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names, died in Auschwitz on September 29, 1942. The second is a postcard to Theresienstadt written on December 7, 1943, from a Jewish inmate, Walter Lenz, at Westerbork Hooghalen Oost. Hooghalen was the site of the rail station near Westerbork. In July, 1942, trains began to leave from Hooghalen to Auschwitz. In November, 1942, a rail line was completed directly to the camp, and the trains thereafter left from the camp. The card is to his mother, Malvine Lenz, who died at Theresienstadt based on the The Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names at Yad Vashem. The card bears the large Star of David censor cancel in green (Simon type 1). The card does not have a postmark, since some mail was collected in the camp and forwarded to the Jewish Council in Amsterdam, and then sent from there (See Simon P.59). The third is a postcard from an inmate at Westerbork to Arnheim postmarked Assen on October 20, 1943, with a Simon type 3 censor cancel. The last is a postcard from an inmate at Westerbork to Amsterdam postmarked Assen on November 17, 1943, with a Simon type 3 censor cancel. The card is from a H.S. Goldmann who signs the letter from himself and Ruth Goldmann. According to The Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names, a Ruth Goldmann was transferred from Holland to Theresienstadt on April 7, 1944, and from there to Auschwitz on October 1, 1944. She died before the end of the war. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Postcards" in the left frame to return.