Mietje Velleman was a daughter of Hartog Barend Velleman and his 2nd wife Elsje van Kleef. 30 September 1925 Mietje married in Rotterdam, aged 17, to Salomon Swaalep from Den Haag, 19 years old, tailor by trade and a son of Samuel Swaalep and Mietje Hamme. The couple had two children, namely Mietje in 1926 and Sellina in 1932.
After their wedding, Mietje and Salomon lived at Lange Warande 89a in Rotterdam. Afterwards they moved again four times, whereby they were registered per 21 July 1936 at the address Lange Pannekoekstraat 37a. However, during the bombardment of Rotterdam, 14 May 1940, the Lange Pannekoekstraat was crushed – and also their house – so they had to look for another dwelling. Eearly October 1940 they moved to Amserdam, where they ended up at Meerhuizenstraat 9, 3rd stock.
On 2 and 3 October 1942 there are raids on Jewish labor camps and families are arrested at home to be sent to Westerbork transit camp. Also the Salomon Swaalep family has been deported from Meerhuizenstraat 9 to Westerbork, were they arrived and were registered between 3 and 5 October. Upon arrival the family was accomodated in barack 56, but later they were separated and enclosed in different barracks.
Salomon Swaalep stays in barack 56, but per 7 November 1942 in barack 85. 20 February 1943 he has been transferred to concentration camp Vught, from where he was deported 15 November 1943 via Westerbork to Auschwitz. It is not known whether he was with his brother-in-law Juda Velleman, who was deported from Vught to Auschwitz with that same transport. Upon arrival in Auschwitz, Salomon Swaalep was not immediately sent to the gas chambers; probably he has been selected as a forced labourer, just as Juda Velleman. He lost his life in January 1944; his official date of death was established as 31 January 1944 in Auschwitz.
Upon arrival between 3-5 October 1942, Mietje Swaalep-Velleman also was enclosed in barack 56 and her registration card of the Jewish Council states that she still stayed in Westerbork 13 November 1942. 15 March 1943 she was transferred to concentration camp Vught. There is a woman’s camp since May 1943. In this part of the camp, up to four thousand women were locked up until the evacuation in September 1944. They inhabit ten barracks numbered from 23A till 32B. Mietje Swaalep-Vellekamp was accommodated at first in barack 10B and up from May in barack 32B. But 7 June 1943 she is put on transport again to Westerbork, together with her daughter Sellina and upon arrival in Westerbork, they stay in barack 62. The next day, 8 June, Mietje and Sellina has been deported to Sobibor (with the so-called Children transport), where upon arrival there 11 June 1943 they were immediately killed.
Sellina Swaalep was accomodated also in barack 56 when she arrived in Westerbork, toghether with her parents and sister. Her registration card of the Jewish Council reads however that she – as a 9-year old girl – was transferred to concentration camp Vught already 7 November 1942. From there she was deported eventually with her mother with the so-called Children transport to Sobibor and killed there 11 June 1943.
Just as the other family on arrival in Westerbork, Mietje Swaalep was accommodated that early October 1942 in barack 56 too. 7 November 1942, she stayed in barack 63 but one week later again in barack 56. She was eventually deported to Auschwitz 9 February 1943, alone as a girl of 16 years old and after arrival there 12 February 1943 immediately killed.
Sources: City archive of Rotterdam, family registration cares of Hartog Barend Velleman and Salomon Swaalep; website www.wiewaswie.nl, wedding Salomon Swaalep/Mietje Velleman; website Time line Prosecution of Jews- Centre of Memorial Westerbork; website National Monument Camp Vught; List of Jew Transports from the Netherlands and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of the Salomon Swalep family.