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Domestic help

Jewish women were able to get out of Nazi Germany by finding work as domestic help to fleeing Jewish families. The Frank family had six helpers in succession, who in turn found work with other families. Often the women worked for families who came from the same town in Germany.

Subject

Not everyone who wanted to come to the Netherlands after the German coup in January 1933 could just settle here. The Committee for Jewish Refugees helped as many Jewish women as possible gain admission to the Netherlands by seeking work as domestic help for them.[1] Edith Frank wrote to a former girl next door in December 1933: 'Unser Wohnung ist ähnlich der in der Ganghofer Str., nur viel kleiner. In unserem Schlafzimmer kann ausser den Betten nichts mehr stehen; kein Keller, kein Speicher, aber alles hell bequem und warm, so dass ich ohne Mädchen gut fertig werde.'[2]

Nonetheless, a number of Jewish women from Germany found temporary work and often accommodation with the Frank family. Domestic workers from Germany also made their appearance with the Werthauer, Goslar and Ledermann families. The following were employed successively at the Frank family home:

  • Renate Wolf,
  • Ilse Windesheim,
  • Malli Aschenbrand,
  • Julie Johanna van Groningen,
  • Gerda Einstein,
  • and Rosel Goldschmidt.

Except for the first one, they all lived with the family. After the last one left, Edith Frank wrote to a friend in December 1937 that she was now doing everything on her own again.[3] Shortly afterwards, the first subtenant, Ernst Katz, appeared on the scene.

Within the migrant community of Amsterdam-Zuid, people from the same city of origin often gravitated towards each other. Renate Wolf was also from Frankfurt, as was Malli Aschenbrand. The latter left the Frank family to join another family from that city.

Footnotes

  1. ^ D. Cohen, Zwervend en dolend. De Joodse vluchtelingen in Nederland in de jaren 1933-1940, met een inleiding over de jaren 1900-1933, Haarlem: Bohn, 1955, p. 66.
  2. ^ Anne Frank Stichting, Anne Frank Collectie, reg. code A_getuigen_I_084, Edith Frank aan Gertrud Naumann, 23 december 1933. De originele brief is alleen gedateerd met Samstag. In 1933 valt de 23e december op een zaterdag.
  3. ^ Familiearchief Anne Frank-Fonds, Bazel, Otto Frank, AFF_OtF_pdoc_16: Edtih Frank aan Hedda Eisenstaedt, 24 december 1937.