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Günter Goldschmidt

Günter Goldschmidt was a first cousin of Peter van Pels.

Person

  • Günter Goldschmidt
  • Born on: Aug. 22, 1923
  • Born in: Elberfeld, Duitsland
  • Died on: April 1, 2013
  • Died in: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Günter Goldschmidt was the son of Max Goldschmidt and Margareta Röttgen, a sister of Auguste van Pels-Röttgen, and therefore a first cousin of Peter van Pels. He came with his parents and sister from Germany to the Netherlands in 1938. On 10 July 1942, his father reported to the police that Günter had left the house on the 8th and had since disappeared without a trace.[1] This could indicate that he too received a call to report in those days and had reason to disappear.

From the summer of that year, Günter was involved in various illegal groups under the name 'Guus', initially in Nijmegen and later in Het Gooi. After the liberation he was still part of the Stoottroepen, with which he left for Indonesia in connection with the war of independence there. Like Günter, his parents survived the war. His sister Doris was arrested and murdered near Auschwitz. As a Dutch citizen Guus van Wielingen, he left Asia for Canada in 1951. He raised a family there and never talked about his experiences.[2]

Source personal data.[3] Addresses: Argonautenstraat 4 II, Amsterdam (6 January 1938); Parnassusweg 23 II (Jan. '40).[3]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Stadsarchief Amsterdam (SAA), Gemeentepolitie Amsterdam, inv. nr. 6563: Meldingsrapport Overtoom, 10 juli 1942, mut. 15.00.
  2. ^ 'Gus van Wielingen; een man met een geheim’, Kwartaalbericht Historische Kring Laren, jaargang 40 (2021), nr. 156, p. 12-30.
  3. a, b SAA, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart M. Goldschmidt.