Jacob Haagman, photographer by trade, was a son of Louis Haagman and Mietje Ossendrijver. 24 November 1920 he married in Rotterdam Elizabeth IJer, a daughter of Abraham IJer and Kaatje Stad. The couple had three children, namely Mietje in 1921, Kaatje in 1924 and Anna in 1926. Kaatje however passed away already in January 1925 and Mietje and Anna were killed in the Shoah. In November 1928, Jacob and Elizabeth divorced.
In November 1920, Jacob Haagman lived at Lijnbaanstraat 20 a in Rotterdam, but moved a number of times to Helmerstraat and back to Lijnbaanstraat. In August 1928 he lived at Middellandplein 16a. 23 November 1928 the marriage of Jacob Haagman en Elizabeth IJer ended by divorce, and since Jacob stayed again at Helmersstraat 18a and 11a, he married again 8 October 1930 in Rotterdam Esther Spreekmeester, a daughter of Josef Spreekmeester and Mietje Grootkerkm. Their address then became Nieuwe Kerkstraat 27a in Rotterdam.
The children Mietje and Anna Haagman from Jacob’s first marriage with Elizabeth IJer, stayed with their mother, who remarried 3 September 1930 Emanuel van Leeuwen, a son of Abraham van Leeuwen and Anna Ossendrijver. They remained in the Van Leeuwen family but were all killed in the Shoah.
When Esther Spreekmeester was 19 years old, the had a son Max in 1922, who died in 1923, only 8 months old. In July 1928, she had another son out of wedlock, Abraham, recognized by her and included in the Jacob Haagman family. Their last known address in Rotterdam was Tolhuislaan 31a.
Jacob Haagman was registered in Westerbork 31 July 1942 and deported to Auschwitz 3 August 1942. Upon arrival there he was forced to do hard labor till he was killed there 30 September 1942. His wife Esther and stepson Jozeph were also taken to Westerbork 31 July 1942 and put on transport 3 August. Upon arrival in Auschwitz 5 August 1942 they were killed immediately.
City Archive of Rotterdam, family registration cards of Elizabeth IJer, Jacob Haagman, Emanuel van Leeuwen, Esther Spreekmeester and Josef Spreekmeester; website www.wiewaswie.nl; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Jacob Haagman, Esther Spreekmeester and Jozeph Spreekmeester and an addition of a visitor of the website.