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Bram Asscher

Bram Asscher was a classmate of Margot Frank at the Jewish Lyceum, Amsterdam. He wrote a letter from camp Westerbork to his mother in which he mentions seeing Margot and her family.

Person

Vervaardiger onbekend. Privécollectie
  • Abraham Asscher
  • Born on: Aug. 28, 1924
  • Born in: Amsterdam, Nederland

Bram Asscher en Trees Lek, kort na de oorlog

Vervaardiger onbekend. Privécollectie

Status onduidelijk

In 1941-1942, Abraham (Bram) Asscher was a classmate of Margot Frank in class 4b2 at the Jewish Lyceum, Amsterdam. Together with his brother Jeannot, he was in camp Westerbork from 29 September 1943 to 13 September 1944.[1] Although he was not in the punishment barracks, during this period he saw Margot and her family in the camp and wrote about it to his mother.

Bram Asscher was a nephew (the son of a brother) of Abraham Asscher of the Jewish Council. His mother, Stephanie Fischer, remarried a non-Jew after the death of her first husband (Bram's father). As a result, she had a Sperre — an exemption from deportation — as a mixed marriage. Her sons, however, as children of two Jewish parents, did not have this protection. Together with his brother Jeannot, Bram was transported to the Westerbork transit camp on 29 September 1943. On 13 September 1944 he was deported as part of the 'diamond group' to the Sternlager of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Both brothers survived the camps and were liberated in Hillesleben in May 1945.[1]

Letter

Bram was in Westerbork in the 'free' camp section. He was allowed to write a letter or two every fourteen days and to receive parcels. On 25 August 1944, Bram wrote to his mother from Westerbork that Margot, Anne and their parents had been locked up in the punishment barracks in camp Westerbork: 'Mama, do you know that Margot is here? That friend of Trees. You remember her, don't you? She's in the S with her parents and sister. Very sad!' Bram also thanked his mother in the letter for the beautiful toothbrush and other items.[2]

This letter is one of the few personal sources which refer to the presence of the Frank family in Westerbork.

According to Ina Polak, he married Trees Lek.[3] It is not known when.

Source personal data.[4] Addresses: Beethovenstraat 122 II, Amsterdam (’36); Stadionkade 41 hs (’41).[5]

Footnotes

  1. a, b Joodse Raad kaart Abraham Asscher, Document ID: 130252763, Arolsen Archives.
  2. ^ Herinneringscentrum Kamp Westerbork, RA 1090, Bram Asscher aan familie D.L. Tollenaar, 24 augustus 1944. Zie ook: Eva Moraal, Als ik morgen niet op transport ga... Kamp Westerbork in beleving en herinnering, Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij, 2014, p. 363.
  3. ^  E-mail van Dienke Hondius, 26 februari 2012.
  4. ^ Referred to by Anne as Bram. Anne Frank, Diary Version A, 23 March 1944, in: Anne Frank, The Collected Works, transl. from the Dutch by Susan Massotty. - London [etc.]: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2019.
  5. ^ Stadsarchief Amsterdam, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart Stephanie Fischer.