Stumbling Stone Rijksweg 51

This brass plaque (Stolperstein or Stumbling Stone), laid on 5-5-2025 commemorates:

* ANNIE KOEKOEK (born 1935, betrayed, arrested 4-7-1944, detained here, interned 13-7-1944 in Westerbork, deported 3-9-1944, murdered 6-9-1944 Auschwitz)

This Stolperstein is here for a Jewish war victim, persecuted, deported and murdered in World War II.

"Stolpersteine" is an art project in Europe by Gunter Demnig to commemorate victims of National Socialism (Nazism). Stolpersteine (trip stones) are small, 10x10cm brass plaques placed in the pavement in front of a residence of (mostly Jewish) victims of the Nazis. Each plaque bears the victim's name, date of birth and their fate. In this way, Gunter Demnig gives an individual memorial to each victim. One stone, one name, one person. He quotes the Talmud: "A person is forgotten only when his or her name is forgotten."

The sad story of Annie Koekoek

Annie was led to Limburg (Velden) by the Amsterdam student resistance, in the guise of a Rotterdam orphan. There she lived with her hiding family until July 1944. Whether anyone betrayed her, or consciously/unconsciously put their money where their mouth was is hard to say. She was brutally picked up by Johan Berendsen and taken away from her hiders. After spending a few days in the police cell in Velden, she and Mary Winnik, who was also arrested, were taken by Berendsen to Venlo by sidecar. There, too, she spent several days in the cell. She was then taken by taxi to Westerbork. From there, she went on the last transport from Westerbork to Auschwitz. She was on the same transport as the Frank family. Once she arrived in Auschwitz, she was killed immediately.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar & Herdenken in Venlo
• Photos: Herdenken in Venlo
• - https://www.joodsmonument.nl/nl/page/185651/annie-koekoek