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Johanna Hermine Biegel

Johanna Biegel was a teacher who taught biology at the Barlaeus Gymnasium and then at the Jewish Lyceum.

Person

  • Johanna Hermine Biegel
  • Groningen, Nederland March 30, 1889
  • Westerbork, Nederland June 1, 1943

Johanna Biegel was a "gymnasium" (grammar school) teacher [1] and secretary of the Nederlandse Dalton-Vereeniging (Dutch Dalton Association).[2] Miss Biegel taught biology at both the Barlaeus and Vossius Gymnasiums. One of the students at the Vossius who were taught by her was author Gerard Reve. In the fourth letter in Nader tot U (Nearer to Thee), he writes rather spitefully about '"Dr." B," as he calls her.[3] After the civil service ban of 1 November 1940, five Jewish teachers, including Miss Biegel, were fired at the Barleaus. She was no longer welcome at the Vossius either.[4]

A year later, she was assigned to the Jewish Lyceum, where she had Anne Frank in her class.[5] Anne describes a run-in with her in the story A Biology Lesson.[6] Anne also reflects her manner of speaking, explaining that Miss Biegel is "from The Hague!."[6]  She lived in The Hague only from March 1941.[1] In his De nacht der Girondijnen (The Night of the Girondists), Jacques Presser referred to her as "Miss Wolfson". According to Presser, she had sworn not to let herself be taken away from the Netherlands.[7]After arrival at Camp Westerbork on 27 May 1943, she ended her own life by taking poison on 1June 1943.[8] Her sister Rebekka Aleida (a docotor in astronomy), who was also in Westerbork, ended her life on the same day.[9]

Source personal data.[1] Addresses: Amsterdam (1932-1941); The Hague (1941-1942); Jan Luykenstraat 41hs, Amsterdam (30 September 1942).[1]

Footnotes

  1. a, b, c, d Stadsarchief Amsterdam, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart Johanna Hermine Biegel.
  2. ^ Algemeen Adresboek voor de stad Amsterdam 1938, p. 1910. Voor Daltononderwijs, zie: Wikipedia: Daltononderwijs.
  3. ^ Gerard Reve, Nader tot U, 21e druk, Amsterdam [etc.] L.J. Veen, 1993, p, 65-67; Frank van Dijl, Essay: De vierde brief in Nader tot U van Gerard Kornelis van het Reve (1), Tzum: literair weblog, 26 juli 2024.
  4. ^ Peter Hermans, Niet voor de school, niet voor het leven. De joodse leerlingen en docenten van het Barlaeus Gymnasium 1940-1945, Amsterdam: Barlaeusgymnasium van Amsterdam, 2004, p. 34.
  5. ^ Dienke Hondius, Absent. Herinneringen aan het Joods Lyceum Amsterdam 1941 – 1943, Amsterdam: Vassallucci, 2001, p.32.
  6. a, b Anne Frank, Tales and events from the Secret Annex, "A Biology Lesson", 11 August 1943, in: The Collected Works.
  7. ^ Jacques Presser, De nacht der Girondijnen, [Amsterdam]:  Vereeniging ter Bevordering van de Belangen des Boekhandels, 1957, p. 68-70.
  8. ^ Hermans, Niet voor de school, niet voor het leven, p. 39; Joods Monument: Johanna Hermine Biegel.
  9. ^ Joods Monument: Rebekka Aleida Biegel.

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