EN

Names of Peter van Pels

Variations of Peter van Pels's name.

Subject

Peter was his only first name.[1] On a card from the population records of auxiliary secretary of the Hooghalen municipality in Camp Westerbork, Peter was registered as Peter Alfred van Pels.[2] Where the addition Alfred came from is not known; it does not appear in other official records.

Van Pels was a Dutch surname. Peter's father Hermann's family was originally from Groningen (Oude Pekela).

When Anne Frank wrote the second version (the B version) of her diary, she wrote a list of the names she wanted to give the people in a book to be published later. She gave Peter van Pels the name Alfred van Daan.[3] In the first edition of the diary (1947), that became Peter van Daan.[4]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Stadsarchief Amsterdam, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart H. van Pels.
  2. ^ Nederlandse Rode Kruis, Den Haag, dossiernummer 135177: Archiefkaart bevolkingsregister gemeente Hooghalen.
  3. ^ 'Pseudoniemenlijstje', in: Nederlands Instituut voor Oorlogsdocumentatie (NIOD) (samenst.), De dagboeken van Anne Frank, 5e, verb. en uitgebr. druk, Amsterdam: Bert Bakker, 2001, p. 70.
  4. ^ Anne Frank, Het Achterhuis: dagboekbrieven van 12 Juni 1942 - 1 Augustus 1944, Amsterdam: Contact, 1947.