Stumbling Stones Brinkstraat 21

These small, brass memorial plaques (stolpersteine or stumbling stones) commemorate:

* Abraham van Rhijn, born 1868, deported 1943 from Westerbork, murdered 19 February 1943, Auschwitz.
* Eva van Rhijn-de Groot, born 1869, deported 1943 from Westerbork, murdered 19 February 1943, Auschwitz.

* Meijer Emanuel van Rhijn, born 1896, deported 1943 from Westerbork, murdered 19 February 1943, Auschwitz.
* Sera Jeannette van Rhijn-van Gich, born 1898, deported 1943 from Westerbork, murdered 19 February 1943, Auschwitz.
* Eva Rika van Rijn, born 1924, deported 1943 from Westerbork, murdered 19 February 1943, Auschwitz. =daughter of Sera Jeanette and Meijer Emmanuel van Rijn.
* Rika Henriëtte van Rhijn, born 1927, deported 1943 from Westerbork, murdered 19 February 1943, Auschwitz.
* Helena Ida van Rhijn, born 1934, deported 1943 from Westerbork, murdered 19 February 1943, Auschwitz.
* Belia Jeannette van Rhijn, born 1937, deported 1943 from Westerbork, murdered 19 February 1943, Auschwitz.
* Henriette Sophie van Rhijn, born 1937, deported 1943 from Westerbork, murdered 19 February 1943, Auschwitz.

* Heijman Valk, born 1924, deported 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 26 February 1945, Weimar.

Abraham van Rhijn and Eva de Groot married in 1894. He opened a bakery in Assen in 1896. They had 7 children – 4 sons and 3 daughters – who were killed in the Shoah. According to Joods Monument, in April 1942, Abraham and Eva lived at Markt 13 in Assen. In the night of 2/3 October 1942, they, along with most of the remaining Assen Jews, were picked up by the Nazis and taken by truck to Westerbork. They stayed there about 4 months until they were put on a train for Auschwitz on 16 February 1943. Abraham and Eva van Rhijn were killed immediately upon arrival – on 19 February 1943. They were ages 75 and 73.

Their son Meijer Emanuel van Rhijn, also a baker, married Mina Zaligman, and together they had 2 daughters – Eva Rika and Rika Henriëtte. Mina died in 1930. Meijer then married Sera Jeannette van Gich. They and their children lived here at Brinkstraat 21: Eva Rika, Rika Henriëtte, Helena Ida, and twins Belia Jeannette and Henriëtte Sophie. All were murdered in Auschwitz on the same day – 19 February 1943. The ages of the children ranged from 18 years to the five-year-old twins.

Heijman Valk was a 20-year-old baker. He was deported to Auschwitz but ended up in Buchenwald. He was murdered on 26 February 1945 in Weimar. Three of his brothers (Jonas Valk 1923-1942, Moshe Manus Valk 1930-1942, and Benjamin Valk 1932-1942) and one sister (Gaaltje Valk 1925-1942) were all murdered in Auschwitz.

"Stolpersteine" is an art project for Europe by Gunter Demnig to commemorate victims of National Socialism (Nazism). Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) are small, 10x10cm brass plaques placed in the pavement in front of the last voluntary residence of (mostly Jewish) victims who were murdered by the Nazis. Each plaque is engraved with the victim’s name, date of birth, and place (mostly a concentration camp) and date of death. By doing this, Gunter Demnig gives an individual memorial to each victim. One stone, one name, one person. He cites the Talmud: "A human being is forgotten only when his or her name is forgotten."