Albert Gomes de Mesquita
Albert Gomes de Mesquita was a classmate of Anne Frank at the Sixth Montessori School and the Jewish Lyceum..
Person
Albert Gomes de Mesquita was a son of Simon Gomes de Mesquita and Johanna Vega.[1] He had a younger sister, Theresia (1933). The family were members of the Portuguese Jewish Congregation. His father was a commercial traveller selling drapery.[2]
Like Anne Frank, Albert grew up in Amsterdam's Rivierenbuurt. He was a year younger than Anne and also attended the Sixth Montessori school. The original plan was for him to then move to the Montessori Lyceum,[3] but just like Anne he had to go Jewish Lyceum instead, due to anti-Jewish measures. He was in her class, 1L2.[4] Anne wrote about him: "(...) he is really smart".[5]
Albert attended Anne's 13th birthday party.[6] Three weeks later Anne went into hiding with her family in the Secret Annex on Prinsengracht. After the war, Albert recalled that on 1 August 1942, his family had received a summons to report for transport to Germany and that they went into hiding two days later.[7] He was in hiding for some time with Miss Südfeldt, a teacher at the Sixth Montessori School.[8] He eventually spent the war years at fourteen different hiding addresses. At one of the addresses, he stayed for a year and a half. His parents and younger sister also survived the war.[9]
After the war, Albert quickly finished high school and got a good job at Philips in Eindhoven. In addition, he was known for his great commitment to various Jewish organizations, and for his social engagement in general. He kept sharing the story of his war experiences into old age and campaigned against discrimination his whole life.[10]
Source personal data.[11] Addresses: Zoomstraat 21, Amsterdam.[1]
Footnotes
- a, b Stadsarchief Amsterdam (SAA), Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart Albert Hijman Gomes de Mesquita.
- ^ SAA, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart Simon Gomes de Mesquita; Arolsen Archives, Joodsche Raad Cartotheek, DocID: 130295183 (Simon GOMES DE MESQUITA.
- ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Anne Frank Collectie, reg. code A_Montessori_I_002: Inschrijfboek Zesde Montessorischool 1932-1959.
- ^ NIOD Instituut voor Oorlogs-, Holocaust en Genocidestudies, Amsterdam, Archief 181e (W.S.H. Elte), inv. nr. 2f: Absentenregister klas 1LII Joods Lyceum, 1 maart – 17 juli 1942; Dienke Hondius, Absent: herinneringen aan het Joods Lyceum Amsterdam 1941-1943, Amsterdam: Vassallucci, 2001, p. 270; Wikipedia: Klas van Anne Frank.
- ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version A, 16 June 1942, in: The Collected Works, transl. from the Dutch by Susan Massotty, London [etc.]: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2019.
- ^ On 12 June 2019 classmates, Albert Gomes de Mesquita among them, shared memories of Anne Frank in her former home. Oud-klasgenoten Anne Frank in gesprek met scholieren, Het Parool, 12 juni 2019.
- ^ Theo Coster, Klasgenoten van Anne Frank, Amsterdam: Carrera, 2009, p. 98.
- ^ AFS, Getuigenarchief, Gomes de Mesquita: Gesprek met Dineke Stam, 3 juni 1997.
- ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Getuigenarchief, Gomes de Mesquita, Albert, transcriptie interview Albert Gomes de Mesquita door David de Jongh en Teresien da Silva, 1 april 2009; Yad Vashem, The Righteous Among the Nation Database: Majoor Hendrikus & Wilhelmina (Bouwman).
- ^ NIK: In Memoriam: Albert Gomes de Mesquita (90); Anne Frank Stichting: In memoriam Albert Gomes de Mesquita.
- ^ SAA, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart Albert Hijman Gomes de Mesquita; Geni: Albert Gomes de Mesquita.