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László Váhl

László Váhl was the downstairs neighbour of the Frank family at Merwedeplein

Person

  • László Váhl
  • Born on: March 5, 1907
  • Born in: Boedapest, Hongarije
  • Died on: Oct. 26, 1987

László Váhl was a Hungarian who lived downstairs from the Frank family at Merwedeplein.[1] Váhl was a mechanic and worked in 1925 and 1926 as a turner and fitter in Budapest, Paris and Berlin..[2] From December 1929 to the end of April 1933, he attended the Technische Hochschule in Karlsruhe.[3] On 1 July 1931, he obtained a doctorate in Engineering with a technical-scientific dissertation in the field of refrigeration.[4] On 18 April 1933, Váhl was dismissed for non-Aryan descent.[5] He subsequently worked from 1 July 1933 to 1 September 1934 at the iron foundry De Etna in Breda.[6]

He married Elize de Roos on 2 August 1935 in Voorburg. They moved to Budapest and a year and a half later to Amsterdam. There Váhl got a job as a design engineer at Werkspoor.[7]

On 24 January 1937 and 8 December 1939, his sons János László and Herman Gyula were born..[7] Anne Frank and neighbour Toosje Kupers sometimes babysat these boys.[8]

On 2 April 1939 Váhl was baptised into the Reformed Church in the Koepelkerk in Amsterdam.[9] During the occupation, he was a gas scout for the Amsterdam Air Defense.[10]

The mayor of Budapest declared on 26 October 1942 that Váhl was not Jewish according to Hungarian law.[11] Due to the changing situation in Hungary, he had to report to labour camp Havelte in May 1944. Because he had not complied with an earlier summons, he was in danger of being arrested by the SD.[12] According to his employer Werkspoor, he went into hiding from May 1944 to escape work for the Germans.[13]

In 1947, Váhl, along with his wife and two sons, lost Hungarian citizenship.[14] He subsequently obtained Dutch citizenship in 1948.[15] From 24 May 1953, he was Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Technische Hogeschool (Technical University of Applied Science) in Delft.​​​​​​​[16] He also held advisory positions at Nutricia and Philips.[17]

Source personal data. (place of death unknown).[7] Addresses: Schloßbezirk 6, Karlsruhe (1933);[5] Boedapest; Merwedeplein 37-I, Amsterdam (12 January1937); J.W. Brouwersstraat 17 boven (April 1941); Brink 13b, Muiden (= Muiderberg) (June 1941);[7] Mijnbouwstraat 1, Delft (Oktober 1954).[18]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Zie Rian Verhoeven, Anne Frank was niet alleen: het Merwedeplein, 1933-1945, Amsterdam: Prometheus, 2019, p. 66-73 en passim.
  2. ^ Privébezit familie Váhl: Referentie Gebrüder Gergely, Boedapest, 30 september 1925, van A.M. Puget, Parijs, 22 oktober 1926 en van AEG, Berlijn, 31 oktober 1928.
  3. ^ Privébezit familie Váhl: Getuigschrift van dr.-ing. R. Plank voor L. Váhl, Karlsruhe, 1 juni 1933.
  4. ^ Privébezit familie Váhl: Doctorsbul van de Badische Technische Hochschule Fridericiana, Karlsruhe, 1 juli 1931.
  5. a, b Privébezit familie Váhl: Brief Rektor der technische Hochschule No. 725, 18 april 1933.
  6. ^ Privébezit familie Váhl: Referentie De Etna, Breda, 31 augustus 1934.
  7. a, b, c, d Stadsarchief Amsterdam (SAA), Dienst Bevolkingsregister: Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart L. Váhl.
  8. ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Getuigenverhalen 2010: Transcriptie interview Toos Buiteman – Kupers door Teresien da Silva, 23 oktober 2009, tijdcode 00:43:26 – 51.
  9. ^ Privébezit familie Váhl: Attest van de Nederlands Hervormde Kerk te Amsterdam, 2 april 1939.
  10. ^ Privébezit familie Váhl: Verklaring burgemeester van Amsterdam, 25 juli 1942.
  11. ^ Privébezit familie Váhl: Verklaring burgemeester van Boedapest, 26 oktober 1942, vertaald te Amsterdam op 20 januari 1943 door beedigd vertaler P. Balász.
  12. ^ Privébezit familie Váhl: Brief van W. Zimmermann, Duits beambte bij het Arbeitsamt Meppel, 11 mei 1944.
  13. ^ Privébezit familie Váhl: Engelstalige verklaring Werkspoor, 29 mei 1945.
  14. ^ Privébezit familie Váhl: Verklaring van de Hongaarse legatie, 11 november 1946.
  15. ^ Verslag der Handelingen van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal, 1948 – 1949, p. 633.
  16. ^ Privébezit familie Váhl: Besluit No. 24 van Koningin Juliana, 1 september 1953.
  17. ^ Privébezit familie Váhl: Brief N.V. Philips, Eindhoven, 31 mei 1954 en brief Nutricia, Zoetermeer, 18 augustus 1959.
  18. ^ Privébezit familie Váhl: Bewijs van opneming, Gemeente Delft, 8 oktober 1954.