Thread by @shannara77

@AuschwitzMuseum (1/8) I knew the story of poor Little Edith as she lived here in Gouda.
Edith was the youngest child of Arnold and Clara Betsy nee de Jong. Her brother was Johan Rene Simon, born in 1930. The family lived in Gouda where Arnold, a doctor, had a medical practice📷.
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@AuschwitzMuseum (2/8) Edit went to the primary school in Gouda, but in 1941 she has to leave the school as Jewish children were no longer allowed to go to public schools. For a while she gets private lessons from one of her former teachers, a non-Jewish woman.
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@AuschwitzMuseum (3/8) In September 1942 the family decided to go into hiding. As finding locations was difficult they had to split up.
In a police report she and her family were ‘wanted’ for illegally changing place of residence without permission, an euphemism for going into hiding.🥺

@AuschwitzMuseum (4/8) She was in hiding in the rectory of Remonstrant church in Zwammerdam where Reverend Gunther kept her hidden. She lived there for about a year. Her stay there was a public secret.
But, she gets betrayed!😠
The day after her 9th birthday she and the reverend are ‘arrested’
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@AuschwitzMuseum (5/8) She is first interrogated for 5 days to find out where her family members are. But both children were instilled in hiding what to say to strangers or in case they are arrested:
"Father works in the mines and mother left me to look for my father in Germany".
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@AuschwitzMuseum (6/8) She was first send to an orphanage in The Hague and on 29-06-1943 she arrives in #Westerbork. There she was in barrack 35, the orphanage. She became ill (scarlet fever) but was even so deported on 16-11-1943 to Auschwitz
She arrived 3 days later and was killed on arrival😢

@AuschwitzMuseum (7/8) She had a favorite doll which she had taken with her while in hiding. But after her 'arrest' the doll stayed behind (📷).
Her parents and brother survived the war in hiding.
Her father, like Otto Frank, started a search for his daughter, which was in vain of course
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@AuschwitzMuseum (8/8) Poor little Edith, I can't imagine how frightened you must have been. From the day of your arrest, the months in Westerbork and finally the train ride to Auschwitz.
All without your mum and dad.😢

A cousin of Edith wrote a book about her.

We will remember you!😢💔🕯️✡️