Walter Holländer emigrates to the USA
During 1938, Walter Holländer applied for an emigration visa to the United States. He awaited it in a camp for Jewish Refugees in Amsterdam. He received his visa in September 1939 and left to join his brother Julius in the United States in December.
De SS Volendam vaart op de Nieuwe Maas. Rotterdam, 1936
Vervaardiger: François Henry (F.H.) van Dijk. Fotocollectie: Gemeente Rotterdam (Stadsarchief) Copyright: Status onduidelijk
Walter Holländer was arrested during the November pogrom of 1938, and detained in Sachsenhausen concentration camp for several weeks. Upon his release, he was urgently told to leave Germany as soon as possible.[1] Partly through the efforts of his brother-in-law Otto Frank, he was allowed to await the decision on his visa application in a Dutch refugee camp. He arrived in the Netherlands on 26 December 1938 via Nijmegen, and initially travelled on to Rotterdam.[2] The Amsterdam Population Register registered him as a resident of the Zeeburg camp the next day.[3] The US consul in Rotterdam granted his visa request on 12 September 1939. On 17 December 1939, he left Rotterdam for the United States on passenger ship Volendam.[4] There he joined his brother Julius, who by that time was living in Massachusetts, like their cousin Ernst.
Footnotes
- ^ Landesarchiv NRW BR 3000 Nr. 1026_1: Entschädigungsakte Walter Holländer, schriftelijke toelichting Walter Holländer, z.d.
- ^ NIOD Instituut voor Oorlogs-, Holocaust- en Genocidestudies, Amsterdam, Comité voor Joodsche Vluchtelingen, inv. nr. 389: Otto Frank aan Comité voor Joodsche Vluchtelingen, 27 december 1938.
- ^ Stadsarchief Amsterdam, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten, toegangsnummer 30238: Archiefkaart W. Holländer.
- ^ Stadsarchief Rotterdam, Passagiers Holland Amerika Lijn (H.A.L.), Afvaart 'SS Volendam' op 17-12--1939 vanaf haven Rotterdam.