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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
  • Born on: March 30, 1889
  • Born in: Groningen, Nederland
  • Died on: June 1, 1943
  • Died in: Westerbork, Nederland

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 the Jewish Lyceum[3] after she was fired from the Barlaeus Gymnasium. Anne describes a run-in with her in the story A Biology Lesson.[4] Anne also reflects her manner of speaking, explaining that Miss Biegel is 'from The Hague!'.[5]  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. She ended her life with poison.[6]

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 J.H. Biegel.
  2. ^ Algemeen Adresboek voor de stad Amsterdam 1938, p. 1910.
  3. ^ Referred to by Anne as (one of) my teachers, 9 in all, 7 masters and 2 mistresses. Anne Frank, Diary Version B, 21 June 1942, in: The Collected Works,  transl. from the Dutch by Susan Massotty, London [etc.]: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2019.
  4. ^ Anne Frank, Tales and events from the Secret Annex, "A Biology Lesson", 11 August 1943, in: The Collected Works.
  5. ^ Anne Frank, Tales and events from the Secret Annex, "My First Day at the Lyceum", 11 August 1943, in: The Collected Works.
  6. ^ 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. 39.