Addition

Arend Spetter, biography

Addition: André Schouten, Rossum-Gld., June 2019

By: André

About Arend Spetter,

Arend (Arie) Spetter was a son of Emanuel Spetter (born 07-06-1871 in Rotterdam, died 19-10-1942 in Auschwitz) and Ave Polak (born 30-04-1873 in London, died 05-09-1930 in Rotterdam). Emanuel and Ave got married in Rotterdam on 05-11-1890. They had 11 children. (NB See also the biography of Emanuel Spetter).

Arend (Arie) Spetter (born 15-10-1907 in Rotterdam, died 31-01-1944 in Janina) was married on 25-01-1933 in Rotterdam to Gerardina Cornelia (Dini) Hemerik (born 17-06-1911 in Rotterdam, died 08- 05-2006 in Rotterdam). They then started living on the Aelbrechtskade 134c in Rotterdam; later they went to live not far from there at Samuel Mullerstraat 14b (this house no longer exists). Arie and Dini had a son Emanuel (Emiel) who was born in Rotterdam on 21-06-1933 and died in Sydney on 04-12-2004.

Emiel emigrated to Australia when he was 17 years old and has always stayed there, living in Sydney. In 1960 he married Yvonne Staunton (1933). Their son Mathew was born on 27-01-1963. Emiel and Yvonne were later divorced. It is not known whether Mathew has children. In 1972, Emiel married Gai-Maree Fisher (born 21-05-1945). They have 2 sons: David was born on 21-06-1968 and Aaron on 01-08-1978, both in Sydney. Aaron has a girlfriend Karen: they have a daughter Savannah who was born on 20-02-2018 in Sydney.

There are a number of documents; these are not attached. The originals (1, 2 and 4) are owned by Gai Fisher in Sydney. Copies of these and the original note (3, as described below) can be found in the archive of "National Monument Camp Vught" in Vught.

The photo of Emiel Spetter (attached) is from 2004 and from the archive from Jurijnie Schouten-Beket.

1 / There is an extract from the birth register of the Civil Registry of the Municipality of Rotterdam of 13-07-1950 stating that Arend Spetter was born on 15-10-1907 and is a child of Emanuel Spetter and Ave Polak.

2 / There are 2 photos: A photo on which Arie and his brother-in-law Cor van Veen (with hat) stand and a photo on which his wife Dini and their son Emiel are standing.

3 / A letter written in pencil (W x H = 10 x 13.5 cm) that Arie wrote on the train on the way to Vught (eventually on the way to Auschwitz). Among other things, he says there: "Keep good spirits. I don't know what happens to me. I always think about you and I am happy that I have the photo. Goodbye dear wife. Keep courage. Emiel, pray for Daddy. Bye". The letter is addressed to his last home address, the Samuel Mullerstraat 14b in Rotterdam.

4 / A letter from “The Dutch Red Cross" of 19 September 1947 in which it is said that Arend Spetter was deported on 15 November 1943 to Auschwitz. It is also said that there is a testimony from Mr. Richard W. van Dam, Hoogstraat 58 in Schiedam (later Nolensstraat 39a in Rotterdam), who says that Arend Spetter died in Janina in January 1944 as a result of exhaustion.