Biography

About Mary Lachovitsky-Weissmann and her family

Marij or Mary Weissmann was born in Burgpole in Russia (or Poland) on 3 May 1872 and she was married to Max Lachovitsky, born 15 June 1868 in Korsaw. Max was a clothing merchant and travelled a lot. In 1905 the complete family, namely Max self, his wife Mary Weissmann, daughters Dina, Lillah, Edith, Ina and Anna, as also his sons Manuel, Chaim and Morris arrived from Edinburgh in Rotterdam, where they have lived at Van Alkemadestraat, Hillestraat, Brede Hilledijk and per 5 July 1923 they moved to Adrien Mildersstraat 21a.

Mary’s husband Max Lachovitsky went broke in November 1909 but remained working in his branche: in November 1921 he was still mentioned as dealer in clothing. Presumably at one of his business trips, Max Lachovitsky passed away in Tunis on 23 April 1922.

Mary Weissmann has been taken in on 4 September 1923 in the psychiatric institution in Apeldoorn, Het Apeldoornse Bosch, where she passed away on 25 July 1940.

After Mary Weissmann was taken in in Het Apeldoornse Bosch, her daughter Dina, a schoolteacher by trade, became head of the family; she lived at Adrien Mildersstraat 21 a, where also her siblings Lillah, Edith, Anna, Chaim and Morris came to live in.

Dina married 21 April 1925 in Batvia (Dutch East Indies) to Herman Pors from Rotterdam, who however passed away there on 11 November 1931. Dina remarried there 8 August 1941 with Herman Heinrich Könemann from Amsterdam. Dina and her husband have survived the war. In March 1948 they were registered at the address Westzeedijk 112 in Rotterdam.

Mary’s daughter Ina married 16 November 1921 in Den Haag with the dealer in gents fashion goods Elkan Fresco, a son of Mijer Fresco and Rebecca Fresco. The couple had three children, namely Max, Rebecca and Mary Edith. Max was killed during the Holocaust; Rebecca survived the Shoah but Mary Edity died in infancy on 7 October 1930, only four months old.

Mary’s unmarried daughter Lillah Lachovitsky lived in in the household of her sister Ina in Den Haag, who was married to Elkan Fresco. Half December 1928 she moved to Veursestraatweg 43 in Veur (nowadays Leidschendam), 7 months pregnant, were she has given birth on 28 February 1929 to her son Max Lachovitsky. Through various addresses, Max eventually came in the “Bergstichting” in Laren, which was located at Doodweg 6. However on his registration card of the Jewish Council, his latest address was listed as Weesperplein 1 in Amsterdam.

On 15 March 1944 Max was brought into camp Westerbork, aged 15, where he had to stay in barack 35. On 23 March he has been deported from there “Eastwards” and somewhere in Mid Europe  Max lost his life on 31 August 1944. His mother Lillah was already sent to camp Westerbork on 19 Septembe 1942, deported to Auschwitz on 21 September where she has been killed immediately upon arrival there on 24 September 1942.

The sisters Edith and Anna Lachovitsky resided in Delft. On both their regisration cards from the Jewish Council was only listed that they have been deported to Auschwitz on 10 November 1942. Upon arrival there Edith and Anna have been killed immediately on 13 November 1942.

Mary’s son Manuel married 10 August 1921 Anna Hendrika Beijk in Den Haag, a daughter of a builder and contractor. From this marriage three children were born: Annij Dijnah, Marij and Manuel Maurice. This family has survived the war but Manuel divorced Anna Hendrika Beijk on 8 April 1946. Mary’s sons Chaim and Morris presumably have survived the Holocaust. Since they had to move from Rotterdam to Den Haag in 1925, because their sister Dina left for Batavia (Dutch East Indies) nothing more of them is known.

Sources: City Archive of Rotterdam, family registration cards of Max Lachovitsky and Dina Lachovitsky; City Archive of Amsterdam, archive card of Dina Lachovitsky; Municipal Archive of Den Haag, family registration cards of Lillah Lachovitsky, Max Lachvitsky, wedding certificate 1746 of Ina Lachovitsky to Elkan Fresco, family registration cards of Elkan Fresco and Manuel Lachowitsky; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, cards of Anna, Edith Max and Manuel Lachovitsky.