Miep Gies works at Opekta
From 16 October 1933, Miep Gies worked at Opekta.
According to the Register of Foreign Nationals, Miep worked at Opekta from 16 October 1933, after more than ten months of unemployment. She earned NLG 15 per week.[1] By her own account, she was put to work on jam preparation the first day and spent at least a month working with all kinds of recipes. When she had mastered this, she was put on the phone to help solve problems (Opekta information department) .[2]
Besides the Opekta information department, Miep Gies did administrative work: her responsibilities included payroll and the bank giro cash book.[3] Sometimes Miep Gies got the people in hiding to update debtors' lists and sales books.[4]
Miep had her workplace in the front office, where Bep and Kleiman were also working.[2]
After the arrest, she and Bep continued to work in the office until Kleiman's return, and according to her, Miep Gies was the only one able to continue the business activities in the meantime.[5]
There are photos and video material documenting Miep's presence at Opekta:
- The photo of Miep with Otto Frank and Henk van Beusekom, September 1936, in the office at Singel 400.[6]
- The photo of Miep with Henk van Beusekom, Isa Cauvern and Branca Boom (sister-in-law of Miep Gies).[7]
- The photo of Miep with Isa Cauvern, Henk van Beusekom, Hetty Levie and Kugler on the pavement of Singel 400.[8]
- Miep figured in the Opekta advertising film, which showed jam preparation using Opekta liquid.[9]
- The 1941 photo of Miep with Kugler, Bep, Pine and Esther in the front office of Prinsengracht 263.[10]
- The May 1941 photo of Miep in the front office. She posed with Van Pels, Esther and Bep.[11]
- Also from May 1941 is the photo of Miep with Bep and Pine at the waterfront.[12]
- On the occasion of Miep's marriage to Jan Gies on 16 July 1941, a party was held at the Opekta office. Some photos were taken during this, both inside and outside in front of the door.[13]
- The 1945 photo of Miep with other helpers and Otto Frank in the front office.[14]
Miep herself resigned from Opekta in the summer of 1947. She felt that running a household with three men (Jan, Otto Frank and Ab Cauvern) was already a full-time job: "I was no longer the young girl searching for freedom and independence through her work."[15]
Footnotes
- ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Getuigenarchief, Santrouschitz: Transcriptie Vreemdelingenkaart H. Santrouschitz, Notitie 3 augustus 1935.
- a, b AFS, Getuigenarchief, Miep Gies, Interview 1992, deel 1.
- ^ Verklaring E. van Wijk-Voskuijl, voor RIOD, 27 februari 1981.
- ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version A, 30 September 1942, in: The Collected Works; transl. from the Dutch by Susan Massotty, London [etc.]: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2019
- ^ Miep Gies & Alison Leslie Gold, Herinneringen aan Anne Frank. Het verhaal van Miep Gies, de steun en toeverlaat van de familie Frank in het Achterhuis, Amsterdam: Bert Bakker, 1987, p. 199-203.
- ^ AFS, Anne Frank Collectie (AFC), reg. code A_Opekta_III_002.
- ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_Opekta_III_003. Branca komt in 1935 bij Opekta en trouwt in augustus 1936. Na haar huwelijk gaat ze weg. AFS, Getuigenarchief, Boom.
- ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_Opekta_III_007. Opekta betrok Singel 400 eind 1934; Henk van Beusekom werkte er tot 7 januari 1938. In die periode moet de foto zijn gemaakt.
- ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_Opekta_IV_001. De film is gedateerd 1938.
- ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_Opekta_III_008. De datering staat in Beps handschrift achterop.
- ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_Opekta_III_009. In Beps handschrift staat achterop 1940. Het bijschrift in de Museale Collectie zegt 1941.
- ^ AFS, Digitale fotocollectie. Als deze en de vorige allebei uit mei 1941 zijn, dan in ieder geval verschillende dagen: Miep draagt andere kleren.
- ^ AFS, Digitale fotocollectie.
- ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_Opekta_III_011.
- ^ Gies & Gold, Herinneringen aan Anne Frank, p. 235.