Biography

About Hartog David (Hakkie Davids) and his wife Sophia van der Kruk.

Hartog David, born 22 May 1879 in Rotterdam was a son of the Rotterdam café owner and comedian Levie David and the actress Francina Terveen. His parents married 21 Julty 1880 in Rotterdam and except Hartog, they had three other children, namely Simon, Rebecca and Hendrika. A previous born Rebecca died as a baby of 12 months old in December 1882 and in 1890 and 1891, two stillborn sons were born. The David family worked in the world of music hall and revue, of whom Simon as “Louis Davids” and Hendrika as “Heintje Davids” were the best known.

Also Hartog David was a well known figure in the world of entertainment. He was an artist, a conductor, pianist and bandmaster of the “Family Theater Davids” and was known as “Hakkie”. He married in Rotterdam on 26 June 1901 at the age of 22 the 22 year old artist Sophia van der Kruk. Together they had two children, namely Francina, who however died 26 November 1901, just two months old. The youngest daughter was Sara, born on 19 February 1903.

On 25 March 1920 the Hartog David family moved to Amsterdam, where they have lived at several addresses in the city, like the Jan Steenstraat, Utrechtsestraat, Sarphatistraat, Vijzelstraat and Roompotstraat. On 10 February they moved over to Uiterwaardenstraat 334 parterre, which appeared to be also their last known address in Amsterdam. Their daughter Sara married on 23 December 1931 Jacob Lewin and moved into a house in the Uiterwaardenstraat 298 2nd floor. In 1940 they moved to Den Haag.

Hartog David had a “Sperre” from the Jewish Council with the “Sperre stamp” 18/94470 and was registered as employee General Service of the Jewish Council. Also his wife Sophia had been exempted from deportation for the time being. She had the Sperre stamp 19/94471. On 28 May 1943 however Hartog and Sophia were still arrested and carried off to Westerbork and ended up in barrack 63. On 1 June they were both deported to Sobibor and on arrival there on 4 June 1943 immediately killed in the gas chambers there.

Sources include the City Archive of Rotterdam, family registration cards of Levie David and Hartog David; the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration card and archive card of Hartog David; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Hartog David and Sophia David-van der Kruk; website Joods Erfgoed Rotterdam/Hakkie Davids; “Ondergang” volume 1 by Dr. J. Presser, page 287/The Stamps and additions of visitors of the website.

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