Stumbling Stones Pres. Steijnstraat 5

Stumbling Stones Pres. Steijnstraat 5 #3

STOLPERSTEIN / STUMBLING STONE
for:
Jacob Walvisch
Anna Walvisch-Blik
Barend Walvisch

Later a fourth stone was placed for:
ARNOLD BLIK, murdered on September 5, 1944 in Vught. He was the brother of Anna Walvisch-Blik.

The German artist Gunter Demnig started placing the first Stolpersteine in 1997 in the Berlin's Kreuzberg district.
Meanwhile there are Stolpersteine in many countries.
It reminds the Holocaust in World War II.
A Stolperstein is a concrete stone of 10 x 10cm, with a brass plate on top, in which the name, date of birth and decease and also place of decease is punched into.
The Stolperstein gets a place in the pavement in front of the former house of the victim.
By doing this, Gunter Demnig gives a private memorial to each victim.
His motto is: 'A HUMAN BEING IS FORGOTTEN ONLY WHEN HIS OR HER NAME IS FORGOTTEN'.

Borne was the first town in the Netherlands in which Stolpersteine were placed.
This happened the 29-11-2007.

Jacob Whale
August 25th, 1899 (Amsterdam) - May 14th, 1943 (Sobibor)

Jacob Walvisch was a son in the large family of Mietje Breemer, who was born in Amsterdam in April 1876, and her husband Barend Walvisch, who was also born in Amsterdam. In July 1916, the family settled at Linnaeusparkweg 1 in the then independent municipality of Watergraafsmeer, part of the municipality of Amsterdam from 1921. It was noted on that occasion that Jacob's father Barend was a casual workman, but in later years he appears to have been a café owner and a coffee house owner. Jacob himself was registered as a mirror maker. In 1919 Jacob was examined for military service and it was determined that he had only completed primary education and was active as a merchant. Due to poor eyesight, he was deemed unfit for military service.

On March 2, 1927, Jacob married Anna Blik, born in Amsterdam, but living in Haarlem. The young couple settled in a house at 202 Vrolikstraat in Amsterdam, where their only son Barend was born on 22 May 1928. Jacob was active in these years as a frame maker and also as a market trader in mirrors. In October 1934 the family moved to 5 President Steijnstraat in Haarlem. That was the last address where the Walvisch-Blik family settled of its own accord. The course of events in Westerbork is somewhat confusing, but it is clear that Jacob Walvisch was in poor health in Westerbork with a stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer and it is also clear that on 11 May 1943 he was deported to Sobibor. There he was presumably killed immediately upon arrival.

Transport from Westerbork 11 May 1943.
Died in Sobibor on May 14, 1943.

He was 43 years old.

Anna Walvisch-Blik
July 25th, 1902 (Amsterdam) - May 14th, 1943 (Sobibor)

Anna (Anny) Blik was born on July 25, 1902 in Amsterdam as the daughter of Saartje Leeuwin and the diamond dealer Barend Blik. At the time of her birth, the family lived on the second floor in Dijkstraat 2. Anna was the eldest of two children, because her brother Arnold was born in December 1913. Within Amsterdam, Anna's parental family moved several times, but continued to live in the vicinity of the old Jewish quarter. In February 1922, the family moved to 46 Anegang in Haarlem, where her mother's sister, Aaltje Leeuwin, also found shelter. In the Haarlem address book of 1923, Barend Blik is mentioned as a shop assistant.

On March 2, 1927, Anna Blik married the Amsterdam framer Jacob Walvisch. On that occasion it was noted that her father Barend was a shop manager. As was customary at the time, women who were married or entering into marriage were almost routinely reported as being 'unoccupied'. We therefore know little about Anna's training and possible activities, but during the war years it was recorded that she had a diploma in shorthand typing and that she also worked as a shorthand typist.

After her marriage, Anna Walvisch-Blik and her husband moved to 202 Vrolikstraat in Amsterdam. Their son Barend was born there in May 1928. On October 13, 1934, the family moved from Vrolikstraat in Amsterdam to 5 President Steijnstraat in Haarlem. President Steijnstraat was also the last address for Anna Walvisch-Blik where she settled in freedom. After arriving in Westerbork, she, like her husband and son, was deported to Sobibor on 11 May 1943. She was probably killed there immediately after arrival on 14 May 1943. Her parents had died before the war. Brother Arnold played a role in the resistance. He was arrested in Haarlem and transferred to Camp Vught. There he was shot on September 5, 1944 (Mad Tuesday).

Transport from Westerbork 11 May 1943.
Died in Sobibor on May 14, 1943.

She was 40 years old.

Bart Walvisch
May 22nd, 1928 (Amsterdam) - May 14th, 1943 (Sobibor)

Barend Walvisch was born on May 22, 1928 as the first and only child of Anna Walvisch-Blik and the frame maker Jacob Walvisch. The family then lived in a house on the Vrolikstraat in Amsterdam. They continued to live there until his parents decided in October 1934 to move to Haarlem. That city was not unknown because his mother Anna had lived with her parents on the Anegang in the center of Haarlem. A childhood friend of Barend reports that Barend went to a Jewish primary school, but on the street he played with friends who went to Mennonite, Christian and public primary schools. Little else is known about him.

At the age of fourteen, Barend also came under the grip of the anti-Jewish terror of the occupying forces. He and his parents were taken to Westerbork and from there deported to Sobibor, where Barend and his parents were probably killed shortly after their arrival on 14 May 1943.

Transport from Westerbork 11 May 1943.
Died in Sobibor on May 14, 1943.

He turned 14 years old.