Biography

About Rachel Agsteribbe and he youngest brother Benjamin.

The eldest of the five children of Willem Agsteribbe and Bertina van West was Rachel, who was born on 26 September 1912 in Amsterdam. She was a seamstress by trade and unmarried. She too lived at Nieuwe Herengracht 159, where her parents exploited a boarding house. Rachel was  born at Houtkopersburgwal 8, the first address where her parents lived after they were married. By removals to Waterlooplein and Zwanenburgwal, she found herself since 1935 with her parents and siblings at the Nieuwe Herengracht.

They youngest of the five children of Willem and Bertina was Benjamin Agsteribbe, who was born on 18 March 1921 in Amsterdam. He had become a tailor and was unmarried too. Benjamin was bon at Waterlooplein 35, where his parents has resided between March 1916 and May 1931. At that time, his father Willem was engaged in renting out halls. Also Benjamin lived at Nieuwe Herengracht 159 with his parents and sibs since 1935.

It is unknown whether Rachel and her brother Benjamin had received a call for the so-called “Arbeitseinsatz” or not, the provision of additional work in Germany under police surveillance; their Jewish Council registration cards do not provide any information on this. But already on 14 July 1942, they were registered in Westerbork and two days later, on 16 July put on transport to Auschswitz. This transport included 895 persons, of whom 309 Jews, who arrived at the day of depart from Camp Amersfoort.

Rachel and Benjamin were undoubtedly selected for "work" upon arrival in Auschwitz on 17 August 1942, partly because of their age. There is a document on which Benjamin appears, the so-called “Zugangsliste Juden”, (access list Jews) (albeit with a wrong day of birth – 21 instead of 18 March) and with prisoner number 47896. However, the nature of his “work” is not known.

No such document has been found for his sister, but she does appear on the transport list found in Auschwitz upon arrival of the transport. It is unknown whether Rachel had to do forced labor in Auschwitz and if so what, or whether she was murdered shortly after arrival. Incidentally, it is also not known about Benjamin on which exact day he died in Auschwitz.

Therefore, the Dutch Authorities have established after the war, partly based on research and testimonials of survivors, that Rachel as well Benjamin Agsteribbe no longer could be alive after 30 September 1942. The Municipality of Amsterdam then was commissioned to draw up certificates of death for both of them, in which was registered that Rachel Agsteribbe and Benjamin Agsteribbe have died in Auschwitz on 30 September 1942.

Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration card of Willem Agsteribbe; archive cards of Rachel Agsteribbe and Benjamin Agsteribbe; birth certificate of Rachel Agsteribbe /1912 nr.19427 from register 17-folio 69verso and nr. 3257 for Benjamin Agsteribbe from register 5-folio 73 v; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Rachel and Benjamin Agsteribbe; Wikipedia website jodentransporten vanuit Nederland.nl/16 July 1942; website Museum and Memorial Auschwitz-Birkenau/Auschwitz Prisoners/Benjamin Agsteribbe/Zugangsliste Juden; website ITS Arolson/Benjamin Agsteribbe 21 March 1931 (wrong date of birth)/Zugangsliste Juden and the certifivates of death made out in Amsterdam on 1 September 1940: for Rachel Agsteribbe nr.52  from the A-register 48-folio 10verso and for Benjamin Agsteribbe nr.49 fro the A-register 48-folio 10.

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