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Johan Broks

Johan Broks was a travelling salesman and representative of Opekta.

Person

Vervaardiger onbekend. Fotocollectie Anne Frank Stichting, Amsterdam
  • Johan Marie Joseph Broks
  • Born on: March 31, 1896
  • Born in: Amsterdam, Nederland
  • Died on: Feb. 5, 1972
  • Died in: Womerveer, Nederland

Johan en Annie Broks, ongeveer 1941

Vervaardiger onbekend. Fotocollectie Anne Frank Stichting, Amsterdam

Geen restricties bekend

Johan (John) Broks was by profession: travelling salesman in chocolate, commercial agent for foodstuffs[1] and from about 1936 representative of Opekta.[2] He married Ans Bossen on 12 March 1941, after the divorce from his first wife had been pronounced in February. In 1946, a son was born. His first marriage produced five children, one of whom died very young. ​​​​​​[1] Otto Frank wrote to Ernst Schnabel at the end of the 1950s that he had spent the night at Broks when he was in danger.[3] This was probably related to the arrests of German Jews in Amsterdam-Zuid following a bomb attack (on Bernard Zweerskade 18) in June '41.[4] Broks had stored goods belonging to the Franks in his house on Overamstelstraat.[5]

In July 1944, Broks was responsible for shipments of strawberries, a large part of which ended up with the people in hiding.[6] On 16 January 1945, he reported the theft of 70 kilos of sugar at the Singel police station on behalf of Gies & Co.[7] 

In the 1950s, John Broks set up a company in soap and soap holders (Provendi) alongside his work for Opekta. He and his wife kept in touch with Otto Frank for a long time. The last known letter from them to Otto Frank dates from 8 April 1970.[8] He was on the list of people to whom Otto Frank wanted to give a copy of The Secret Annex when it was first published.[9]

Source personal data.[10] Addresses: Lekstraat 20 huis, Amsterdam; Nieuwendijk 48 boven (Oct. ’40); Overamstelstraat 23 II (March ’41).[1]

Footnotes

  1. a, b, c Stadsarchief Amsterdam (SAA), Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart J.M.J. Broks.
  2. ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Getuigenarchief, map 3: Gespreksverslag d.d. 29 september 1994 van Dineke Stam met Broks’ zoon.
  3. ^ Deutsches Literaturarchiv, Marbach, Archief Ernst Schnabel: ‘Bemerkungen’ Otto Frank bij manuscript Schnabel (kopie bij: AFS, afd. Collecties, map Schnabel).
  4. ^ "Straf voor aanslag met springstof", Nieuws van den Dag, 14 juni 1941.
  5. ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version A, 22, 26 and 28 September 1942, 1 October 1942; Diary Version B, 25 September 1942, in:The Collected Works, transl. from the Dutch by Susan Massotty, London [etc.]: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2019.
  6. ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version A, 8 July 1944, in: The Collected Works.
  7. ^ Website Stadsarchief Amsterdam, Politierapporten 40-45: NL-SAA-20114873.
  8. ^ AFS, Anne Frank Collectie (AFC), Otto Frank Archief (OFA), reg. code OFA_085: Correspondentie.
  9. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code OFA_100.
  10. ^ SAA, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart J.M.J. Broks; Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie, Centraal archief van overledenen: Persoonskaart J.M.J. Broks.