Hijman Content was a son of the diamond broker Abraham Content and Naatje Gompers en was born 4 March 1892. His father passed away in 1906 and was interred in the Jewish Cemetery at Muiderberg. He had one brother, Louis, who after his marriage to Rebecca Schuitevoerder in 1918, left Amsterdam for Deurne (Antwerp) in 1925 with his wife and two children.
Hijman travelled regularly to London on behalf of a diamond broker. He then stayed at 10 Park Hill in the London Borough of Sutton in South London, were he met Gertrude Hanreck. On 1 August 1920 the 28-year old Hijman married there the 26-old Gertrude, who was born in London on 12 March 1894 as daughter of the late dentist Jacob Hanreck and de late Anne Ensel.
After his wedding, Hijman and Gertrude lived at Sarphatistraat 207 parterre in Amsterdam (renamed during the German occupation to Muiderschans), and earned his living as wholesaler in leather goods. Gertrude however passed away on 15 January 1937 in Amsterdam and was interred in the Jewish Cemetery in Diemen. As far as known, Hijman and Gertrude had no children.
On 26 Octbober 1938 Hijman Content got married again to Betsy Härtz, a daughter of Izak Härtz from Harderwijk and Zientje Magnus from Smilde. Also from the wedlock to Betsy, no offspring was born. Betsy had one sister Martha, who was also killed during the Shoah.
After the mandatory registration of all Jews in the Netherland, Hijman Content got this job with the Jewish Council and had a “Sperre because of function”. He was exempted from deportation until further notice and was “carer of the poor” at the Office of Social Affairs of the Nederlands Israëlitische Gemeente at Houtmarkt 10 in Amsterdam, the former Jonas Daniel Meijer plein which was renamed by the German occupiers, where the Dutch Israëlitic Main Synagoge was located. (N.I.H.S.) His exemption number was 15/91542, a number in the 90.000 series, actually a Jewish Council stamp. Also his wife Betsy Härtz was exempted from deportation for the time being: she was voluntarily carer at the Dutch Israëlitic Neighborhood Association, which was located at the same address. Her exemption number was 1591543. Her previous profession was accountant.
In the context of the concentration of Jews to certain districts of the city and from the province to Amsterdam, (all to simplify the arrest and deportation of Jews for the occupier), Hijman received a permit to move, valid from 22 till 29 March 1943, to move mandatory from Muiderschans 207 parterre to Reitzstraat 43 3rd floor in the Transvaal district of Amsterdam-East. On 24 September 1943 they were arrested there and carried off to Westerbork, where they had to stay in barrack 62. On 29 September 1943, the last round-up was held in Amsterdam, where still 2000 Jews were arrested, after which Amsterdam was labeled as “Judenfrei” (Jew-free).
On 1 February 1944, Hijman and Betsy were put on transport from Westerbork to Bergen Belsen. Validated notes of 28 August 1945 on the Jewish Council registration card of Betsy Härtz show, that she would have been transferred on 19 December 1944 from Bergen Belsen to concentration camp Ravensbrück, but for unknown reasons, that has been cancelled. Thereafter, Betsy Content-Härtz has lost her life in Bergen Belsen, due to diseases, exhaustion and hardship on 31 December 1944
Also validated notes of 28-8-1945 on the Jewish Council card of Hijman Content show, that he was deported on 4 December 1944 from Bergen Belsen to concentration camp Sachsenhausen in Oranienburg city, near Berlin. There he lost his life, due to diseases, exhaustion or hardship on 31 January 1945. But according the the death registers of camp Sachsenhausen, Hijman Content died there on 8 January 1945. This date may deviate from the official date of death as has been established by the Ministry of Justice after the war.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, archive cards of Hijman Content and Betsy Härtz; website wiewaswie.nl/marriage Hijman Content to Gertrude Hanreck – wedding certificate from Amsterdam, register 1-folio 20 of 1 Aug 1920; website hetstenenarchief.nl/Gertude Hanreck; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Hijman Content and Betsy Härtz; death certificate for Hijman Content from Amsterdam, nr 155 of 26 Sep 1952 from A-reg. 97-fol.27v; death certificate for Betsy Härtz from Amsterdam, nr 136 of 28 Nov 1952 of A-reg. 98-fol 24v.; Wikipedia website Holocaust in Nederland; website Joods Amsterdam.nl/Houtmarkt 10 and the Wikipedia website jodentransporten vanuit Nederland.nl