Stumbling Stones Walstraat 7

Stolpersteine / Stumbling Stones
for
* Joseph Cohen, born 1892, deported 26 October 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 28 February 1943 Auschwitz.
* Francina Cohen-van Dijk, born 1884, deported 26 October 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 29 October 1942, Auschwitz.
* Jacob Cohen, born 1925, deported 8 February 1944 from Westerbork, murdered 30 June 1944, Central Europe.
* Isaac Cohen, born 1926, deported 13 April 1943 from Westerbork, murdered 16 April 1943, Sobibor.

Joseph Cohen, a merchant [koopman], married Francina van Dijk. Their son Jacob Cohen was killed at age 19.

The fourth stolperstein is for Isaac Cohen, but his relationship to them was not seen. Joods Monument gives some information: Isaac was living with a number of other children in the S.A. Rudelsheim Foundation in Hilversum – a group home for mentally handicapped Dutch children. The Germans first sent the children to another Hilversam location in 1942 and a year later 69 children and about 10 staff were murdered in Sobibor.

Joseph Cohen grew up in a large family with 13 children. Of the 11 known to be alive at the beginnning of the war, only 1 survived; the rest were murdered in Auschwitz, Sobibor, or Central Europe. Their mother, Sara Cohen-Susman, was also murdered -- in Sobibor at age 81. A stolperstein for Joseph’s brother, Isidoor Cohen, is at Katwijkstraat 24 in Oss.

Little information was found on Francina’s parents and siblings, but records show one sister was killed 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."

Borne was the first town in the Netherlands in which Stolpersteine were placed -- on 29 November 2007.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: Anne Palmer
• Photos: Peter Mulder
• Joods Monument
• Stolpersteine.eu