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Johannes Kleiman - work at Opekta

Subject

On 12 December 1941, Otto Frank stepped down as a director at Opekta's shareholders' meeting, the purpose of which was to pro forma 'Aryanise' the company. Johannes Kleiman immediately accepted the appointment as managing director. The meeting was at the offices of Mr A.R.W.M. Dunselman.[1]

  • On 18 December 1941, this change was registered at the Chamber of Commerce.[2]
  • On 30 June 1942, Kleiman signed the attendance list of the shareholders' meeting, at Dunselman's office.[3]
  • On 25 June 1945, he did so again.[4]

After the war, according to Otto Frank, Kleiman wanted: 'Once again to leave the business, as he was interested in other matters and took up this position at the time only to help me'.[5]

  • On 10 April 1947, Kleiman's salary was set at 4,800 guilders a year. This was equal to that of Otto Frank, who was reappointed as director at this meeting.[6]
  • On 9 October 1947, Kleiman, as director, had amended articles of association implemented before a notary. This was based on the shareholders' meeting decision of 14 August 1947.[7]
  • From 10 March 1953, he again held the position of director.[7] This was shortly after Otto Frank's departure for Basel.
  • From late '56, there were tough negotiations with Opekta-Köln and Robert Feix regarding the acquisition of the Dutch Opekta shares.[8]

Kleiman owned one-fifth of the shareholding, Otto Frank the rest. In 1957, the total value was NLG 25,000.[9]

In 1958, Kleiman experimented intensively with bigarreaux as a pastry filling. On 14 August 1958, he wrote to Otto Frank that the product now offered prospects. This strengthened their negotiating position, now that Dr Magin of Opekta-Köln was making overtures again. He therefore wanted to wait and see first.[8]

Kleiman's last letter in correspondence with Otto Frank was dated 27 December 1958. The next one dated 20 April 1959 came from his widow Johanna Kleiman-Reuman.[10] Opekta-Köln took over the Amsterdam firm in spring 1959 by buying Otto and Kleiman's shares.[11]

Footnotes

  1. ^ NIOD Instituut voor Oorlogs-, Holocaust- en Genocidestudies, Amsterdam, Archief van de N.V. Nederlandsche Opekta Maatschappij, inv. no.19: Notulen 12 december 1941.
  2. ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Anne Frank Collectie (AFC), reg. code A_Opekta_I_051: Uittreksel Handelsregister, 11 oktober 1945. 
  3. ^ NIOD, Archief Opekta, inv. no. 19: Notulen 30 juni 1942.
  4. ^ NIOD, Archief Opekta, inv. no. 19: Notulen 25 juni 1945.
  5. ^ Nationaal Archief, Den Haag, Nederlands Beheersinstituut (NBI): Beheersdossiers, nummer toegang 2.09.16, inv. nr. 134994: Otto Frank aan Beheerinstituut, 31 januari 1946.
  6. ^ NIOD (RIOD) Opekta 292, losse map: Notitie over directie en commissarissen van Opecta en Pectacon. Op dezelfde datum treedt Otto Frank weer aan als directeur, enkele weken na zijn verklaring tot 'non-enemy'.
  7. a, b AFS, A_Opekta_I_018, Bijvoegsel Staatscourant van 14 november 1947. 
  8. a, b AFS, AFC, Otto Frank Archief (OFA), reg. code OFA_079: Correspondentie tussen Otto Frank en Johannes Kleiman, 1956-1959.
  9. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code OFA_079: Johannes Kleiman aan Otto Frank, 21 september 1957.
  10. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code OFA_079: Johannes Kleiman aan Otto Frank, 27 december 1958 en J. Kleiman-Reuman aan Otto Frank, 20 april 1959.
  11. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code OFA_075: Afschrift brief Magin en Fackeldey, 4 juni 1959.