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Het Kinderhuisje (The Children's Home)

The Children's Home was a holiday home in Laren. In the summer of 1938, Anne Frank stayed there for several weeks.

Subject
Fotograaf onbekend. Fotocollectie Anne Frank Stichting

Anne Frank (achterste rij, tweede van links) tijdens een vakantie in ‘Het Kinderhuisje’ in Laren, zomer 1938. Naast Anne staan Lydia Leertouwer en Paola Folmer. Rechtsonder zit Paola's broer Dirk en in de tent zit Henk Schultink (met stropdas).

Fotograaf onbekend. Fotocollectie Anne Frank Stichting Copyright: Publiek domein

Het Kinderhuisje (The Children's Home) was first located at Drift 29 and later aat Drigt 27 in Laren from 1918, and from October 1939 at 's Gravelandseweg 132, Hilversum.

Phine Simonis (1885-1945) was the founder of Het Kinderhuisje together with her sisters Nel (1886-1981) and Jacqui (1887-1971). The three Simonis sisters bought a house at Drift 29 in 1918 to start a 'Children's Home' and later had a new, larger house built at Drift 27 in the garden of that house.[1] It provided an ongoing home for a number of children aged two to twelve (girls up to sixteen). For children aged three to six, there was a play club between nine a.m. and noon.[2]

Nel Lohman was initially an office clerk but later became a “childcare worker” and lived for a few months in 1926 in Het Kinderhuisje on the Larense Drift.[3] She settled there again in 1931.[4] Her name appeared among the institution's advertisements from 1932 onwards.[5]

Het Kinderhuisje functioned not only as a holiday home. Children also stayed for longer periods of time, for example because of divorced parents or other domestic problems.[6]

In 1938, Anne Frank spent the summer in Het Kinderhuisje. Precise dates are missing and how she ended up there is also unknown. The oldest known mention of the institution was in a Montessori magazine, and the connection may be to Montessori education. During her stay, several photos were taken, showing Anne together with Steffi Grünberg, Henk Schultink, Paola and Dirk Folmer, Lydia Leertouwer and nurse Marie Verheij.[7] Lydia was a daughtrer of Nel Lohmans' sister.[8] Paola and Dirk were among the permanent residents.[9] When Nel Lohman moved Het Kinderhuisje to Hilversum in the autumn of 1939, Paola and Dirk went with her.[10]

Anne Frank and Lydia Leertouwer both visited 'School No 51 for Preparatory Education', the nursery classes at the Sixth Montessori School.[11]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Voor de geschiedenis van het Kinderhuisje, zie hoofdstuk 3 van: Steven Weinberg, Aaldrik Hermans en Michiel van Driel, Een badkuip aan de Drift, Luxembourg: nautilEditions, 2021.
  2. ^ Advertentie in Montessori Opvoeding, 2e jaargang, nummer 19, 13 september 1919; Advertentie, Het Nieuws van den Dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië, 16 januari 1923; “Speelclubje”, Eemnesser Courant, 18 november 1924.
  3. ^ Stadsarchief Amsterdam (SAA), Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Gezinskaarten, toegang 5422: gezinskaart G.P. Lohman (1895).
  4. ^ “Bevolkingsopgaven Laren”, Laarder Courant de Bel, 2 juni 1931.
  5. ^ “Aangeb. Buitenverbl., Pensions enz.”, De Telegraaf, 3 november 1932.
  6. ^ SAA, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Gezinskaarten: gezinskaart E.M. van der Smagt (1903); Gesprek van Margaretha Folmer met Gertjan Broek (AFS) over Dick en Paola Folmer, 13 maart 2014.
  7. ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Anne Frank Collectie (AFC): Foto’s 4050_14 en 4050_15.
  8. ^ SAA, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Gezinskaarten: gezinskaart J. Lohman (1851) en T.H.F. Leertouwer (1896).
  9. ^ Privébezit M.L. Folmer: Ansichtkaarten, brieven en rapporten van Paola en Dirk Folmer uit de jaren 1936-1940.
  10. ^ “Bevolkingsopgaven”, Laarder Courant de Bel, 27 oktober 1939.
  11. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_Montessorischool_I_0001: leerlingenregister school No. 51, volgnrs. 132 en 293.