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Stumbling Stones Emmalaan 30

These memorial stones (so called Stolpersteine of stumbling blocks) commemorate:

family de Vries

The small copper plaques, in the pavement in front of houses of which the (mostly Jewish) residents were murdered by the Nazis, mention the name, date of birth and place (mostly a concentration camp) and date of death.

In many other cities, mainly in Germany but also in other European countries, the memorials also can be found. There are already many thousands of these plaques and their number is still counting. Almost all Stolpersteine are laid by the German artist himself, Gunter Demnig.

SIEGFRIED LEONARD DE VRIES
February 27, 1912 (Amsterdam) – May 21, 1943 (Sobibor)
EMMALAN 30
Siegfried has lived at Reinwardtstraat 99hs in Amsterdam since birth. When Siegfried had just turned 9 years old, he moved on 12 May 1921 with his father Philippus Lazarus de Vries, who was then a merchant in wall decoration, his mother Mietje Beffie and his sisters Johanna and Elisabettha, to Schoterweg 7 in Haarlem.
His older brother Lazarus, who is a frame maker, has already left home. In August 1930, Siegfried moves with his parents and sister Elisabettha to 6 Burgemeester Boreelstraat in Haarlem.
On December 12, 1934, Siegfried married Charlotte van Praag. This marriage was solemnized in Haarlem. Siegfried and Lottie moved to Duvenvoordestraat 6 in Haarlem.
From here they move on October 14, 1935 to Emmalaan 30 in Haarlem. The rental house they will then move into was completed a year earlier. They may be the first tenants of the house. Two and a half months later, their son Jopie was born on December 28, 1935.
Siegfried works as a warehouse clerk and frame maker during the war years. His father was then head of the Frame Factory at Kruisstraat 49, later known to Haarlemmers as Foto Satina, where the word "FRAMING FACTORY" could still be read vaguely on the facade for a long time. Siegfried's cousin Leo Julius lives at that address with his wife Lea and son Robert and works there as a shopkeeper.
When on August 23, 1942, the call comes for Haarlem Jews to report, it turns out that the family is no longer present. Whether they only went into hiding after the call, or whether they had already left by then is unknown.
It is not known where Siegfried and Lottie subsequently stay. In any case, it must have been around Rotterdam. They were arrested on April 16, 1943 and registered in the Rotterdam Police Prison on the Haagse Veer. From there they are transferred to Westerbork where he is placed in penalty box 67, the usual barrack for people in hiding.
On May 18, 1943, they were deported together in a transport of 2,511 persons to Sobibor, where they were murdered immediately upon arrival on May 21, 1943.
Transport from Westerbork to Sobibor on May 18, 1943
Murdered in Sobibor on May 21, 1943
He was 31 years old

CHARLOTTE DE VRIES-VAN PRAGUE
May 9, 1911 (Amsterdam) – May 21, 1943 (Sobibor)
EMMALAN 30
Charlotte de Vries (nickname Lottie) was born on May 9, 1911 in Amsterdam. Her mother, Mietje van Praag – Blokjesman lived at Nieuwe Kerkstraat 1c in Amsterdam. She and her husband Jozef owned a bread bakery there. After the death of her husband Jozef, Mietje continued the bakery with her son Max.
On December 12, 1934, Lottie marries Siegfried de Vries. This marriage took place in Haarlem. Siegfried and Lottie moved to Duvenvoordestraat 6 in Haarlem. From here they move to Emmalaan 30 on 14 October 1935. The rented house they move into was completed a year earlier. They may be the first tenants of the house. Two and a half months later, their son Jopie was born on December 28, 1935.
When on August 23, 1942, the call comes for Haarlem Jews to report, it turns out that the family is no longer present. It is not known whether they only went into hiding after the call, or whether they had already left. A neighbor at the time remembers that she last saw Lottie when she walked down the street in a fur coat. She also remembers Lottie's sweet voice.
Where Lottie and Siegfried stay during their hiding is not known. In any case, it must have been around Rotterdam. They were arrested on April 16, 1943 and registered in the Rotterdam Police Prison on the Haagse Veer. From there they are transferred to Westerbork where Lottie is placed in barrack 63.
On May 18, 1943, they were deported together in a transport of 2,511 persons to Sobibor, where they were murdered immediately upon arrival on May 21, 1943.
Transport from Westerbork to Sobibor on May 18, 1943
Murdered in Sobibor on May 21, 1943
She was 32 years old.

JOSEPH PHILIP DE VRIES
December 28, 1935 (Haarlem) – January 28, 1944 (Auschwitz)
EMMALAN 30
Joseph Philip de Vries (nickname Jopie) was born in Haarlem on December 28, 1935, the only son of Siegfried Leonard de Vries and Charlotte van Praag. Jopie is named after his maternal grandfather, Jozef van Praag, who died on May 7, 1934 in Amsterdam. Together with his wife, Mietje van Praag - Blokjesman, Jopie's grandmother, he owned a bread bakery at 1c Nieuwe Kerkstraat in Amsterdam. After the death of Jozef, Mietje continues the bakery with her son Max, Lottie's brother.
Jopie lived in Haarlem with his parents at Emmalaan 30. According to a neighbor at the time, the small room above the front door was Jopie's room.
Jopie's parents were arrested without him on April 16, 1943 and deported via the Haagse Veer in Rotterdam to Westerbork and eventually Sobibor, where they were murdered immediately upon arrival on May 21, 1943. Jopie was (or was already at that time) placed in the children's home "De Viersprong" in Driebergen, where he lived with a group of Jewish and non-Jewish children, in total between 30 and 40 children. In the beginning, some Jewish children could still go to school thanks to forged papers, but lessons were also taught at home.
On January 6, 1944, a betrayal raid takes place there and 16 Jewish children are arrested. The children are deported to Westerbork on 12 January 1944 via the Police Headquarters and the Hollandsche Schouwburg in Amsterdam. Because Jopie arrives in Westerbork without his parents, he is placed in barrack 35, the Orphanage.
Less than two weeks later, on Tuesday, January 25, 1944, Jopie and other children from the children's home in Driebergen were deported from Westerbork to Auschwitz. Jopie's transport has 949 people. He arrives in Auschwitz on January 28, 1944. There he is killed immediately upon arrival.
Transport from Westerbork to Auschwitz on January 25, 1944
Murdered in Auschwitz on January 28, 1944
He turned 8 years old.

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Source

  • Text: Reini Elkerbout
  • Photos: Reini Elkerbout