Riek Kuperus - de Rooij
Riek Kuperus was head teacher of the Sixth Montessori School.
Person
On 5 November 1925 Hendrika (Riek/Rika) Kuperus married illustrator Sjoerd Kuperus in Amsterdam.[1] As a teacher, she provided a steady income, allowing Kuperus to fully develop as an artist.[2] The marriage remained childless. From 1926 on she worked at the First Montessori School in Amsterdam.[3] Out of three teachers from this school, the municipality chose her in 1934 to be the principal of the newly formed Sixth Montessori School. The fact that she had been passed over for an earlier nomination and that she was the breadwinner weighed in the balance.[4] Former student Rob van Schaik characterized her as “stern and strict” whose “halo of righteous imperviousness” was énhanced by the mystery about her private life.[5]
Anne wrote that she was in class 6C with Ms Kuperus.[6] According to the school's Parents' Fund administration, Anne was in class 6A in school year 1940-1941.[7] Otto Frank gave Kuperus the diary to read as early as the beginning of 1946.[8] She then urged that he shorten her last name to K.[9] He sent her a copy of Het Achterhuis in 1947. In the accompanying letter he wrote: "You knew her so well, you understood her nature and she loved you so much".[10] In our around 1970, Riek Kuperus gave a book presentation on Het Achterhuis.[11]
In 1963, Riek Kuperus retired. A year later she and her husband moved to Friesland where she died in 1993. Shortly before her death, she gave an interview in which she said how during the German occupation anti-Jewish sentiment had slowly entered the school.[9] She also talked about Anne, according to her, not a remarkable girl.
"Anne was a nice girl, not conspicuous, but always active and spontaneous. She had girlfriends, often worked with the children as well (...), but did not stand out as a distinct personality. (....) If you saw them in a group together, they were nice kids. I sometimes found that difficult after the diary came out. Then people would come to me and tell me she was such a bright child. She wasn't at all. She wasn't dumb mind you, but Anne had periods when she failed to attend school a lot of times. She was ill quite a few times. And during those times she fell behind with her work."[12]
Source personal data.[13] Addresses: Deurloostraat 34 III, Amsterdam; Koudum (1964).[14]
Footnotes
- ^ Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie (CBG), Den Haag: Persoonskaart H.A.M. de Rooij. Sjoerd Kuperus (1893-1988) was a Dutch artist, he was a draughtsman, etcher, lithographer, bookbinding designer and designer of ex libris. Wikipedia: Sjoerd Kuperus.
- ^ Histoarysk Koudum: Sjoerd Kuperus.
- ^ Stadsarchief Amsterdam (SAA), Afdeling Onderwijs, toegang 5191, inv. nr. 9995: Stamkaart H.A.M. Kuperus-de Rooij.
- ^ SAA, Afdeling Onderwijs, inv. nr. 5630, volgnr. 4796: Concept en voordracht, 21 en 22 september 1934.
- ^ Bas Moll e.a. (red.), 75 jaar en springlevend: 6e Montessorischool Anne Frank 1932-2007, Amsterdam: Zesde Montessorischool, 2008, p. 21.
- ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version A, 16 June 1942, in: The Collected Works, transl. from the Dutch by Susan Massotty, London [etc.]: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2019.
- ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Anne Frank Collectie (AFC ), reg. code A_Montessori_I_027: Kasschriftje.
- ^ AFS, AFC, Otto Frank Archief (OFA), reg. code OFA_100: Mw. Kuperus aan Otto Frank, 18 maart 1946.
- a, b Moll e.a. (red.), 75 jaar en springlevend, p. 37.
- ^ AFC, AFC, reg. code OFA_100: Otto Frank aan mw. Kuperus, juni 1947.
- ^ Kopie bij: AFS, Getuigenarchief Kuperus-de Rooy.
- ^ Moll e.a., 75 jaar en springlevend, p. 22-23, 37.
- ^ SAA, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart H.A.M. de Rooij; CBG: Persoonskaart H.A.M. de Rooij.
- ^ SAA, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart H.A.M. de Rooij.
Digital files (1)
Niet doen wat je wilt, maar willen wat je doet.
Verslag van onderzoek naar de Zesde Montessorischool en Anne Frank.