Joseph Busnach, merchant by trade, was born in Amsterdam on 10 April 1889 as a son of Isaac Busnach and Sara Tertaas. He married Margaretha van West on 13 May 1908 in Amsterdam, a daughter of Isaac van West and Rebecca Doof. She was born on 9 February 1891, also in Amsterdam.
The Busnach-van West couple had five children, all born in Amsterdam, viz. Isaac on 16 October 1908, Rebecca on 18 August 1911, Sara on 21 February 1913, Louis on 22 July 1914 and Roza on 26 November 1916. Of these children, Isaac Louis and Roza have survived the Holocaust. Sara and Rebecca and her family, as well the parents Joseph Busnach and Margaretha van West were murdered during the Shoah.
Joseph en Margaretha lived at many addresses in Amsterdam, but their last known address in Amsterdam was Ruyschstraat 78 huis, waar zij vanaf September 1939 waren komen wonen. Also with their unmarried daughter, who still lived at home. She was a seamstress and was employed at the clothing factory Hollandia Kattenburg. On 11 September 1942 Joseph, Margaretha en óók Sara were arrested and carried off to Westerbork and already deported to Auschwitz on 14 September 1942.
The transport contained 902 deportees, of whom during a stop-over at Cosel, 120 “arbeitsfähige” men between 15 and 50 year (fit for work) had to leave the train forcedly, to be put to work in the surrounding forced labor camps in Upper Silesia. However, Joseph Busnach, then over 53 years of age, was sent onwards to Auschwitz with the elderly, weak and sick men, as well with the women and children. Nearly all were immediately gassed in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau upon arrival there on 17 September 1942. Among those victims also the 51-year old Margaretha Busnach-van West and her daughter Sara, however not the 53-year old Joseph Busnach.
This is substantiated by the fact that, apart from known exceptions, no matricule numbers occur in the Auschwitz administration, while on the other hand it is certain that all those arriving in Auschwitz who were not immediately gassed were matriculated. Joseph Busnach also ended up in Auschwitz, where he was not gassed despite he was over 50; he was “matriculated” and given the prisoner number 63829 and was then most likely sent on to Golleschau, a satellite camp of Auschwitz. That camp was located on the site of a quarry and cement factory of the SS company Golleschauer Portland-Zemment AG.
It is not known when, but it has become clear through the website Auschwitz Prisoners/Joseph Busnach, that he has been admitted one time or even two times in the prisoners hospital in Block 20 and Block 28 in Auschwitz I. Not known either is how, and when exactly Joseph Busnach lost his life.
The Dutch Authorities after the war have established, partly on the basis of research and testimonials of survivors, that Joseph Busnach no longer could be alive after 30 January 1943. The Municipality of Amsterdam then was commissoned to draw up a certificate of death for Joseph Busnach, in which as been recorded that he has died in (the vicinity of) Auschwitz on 30 January 1943.
Sources include the Amsterdam City Archives, family registration cards of Joseph Busnach, archive cards of Joseph Busnach, Margaretha van West and Sara Busnach; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Joseph Busnach, Margaretha Busnach-van West and Sara Busnach; the publication Auschwitz III edited by the Dutch Red Cross, issued October 1952/transports to Auschwitz-the Cosel period; website oorlogslevens.nl/Golleschau; the website Museum & Memorial Auschwitz Birkenau/Auschwitz Prisoners/Joseph Busnach; the Wikipedia website Jodentransporten vanuit Nederland.nl; death certificate 570 for Joseph Busnach, drawn up in Amsterdam on 15 June 1951-from the A-register 78-folio 97 and additions from visitors of the website.