Spelling conventions
On the Dutch pages of this website, Hebrew and Yiddish words are spelled in the Dutch way, according to the rules in H. Helkens et al., Hebreeuwse en Jiddsje woorden in het Nederlands. Spelling, uitspraak, buiging, herkomst, betekenis (The Hague 2002). On the English pages, these terms are spelled in accordance with English conventions wherever possible.
By analogy with the standard Dutch spelling of Joodse Raad [Jewish Council], we have consistently replaced ‘sch’ with ‘s’ (e.g. Apeldoornse Bos instead of Apeldoornsche Bos). One exception is the title Het Joodsche Weekblad. Proper names are not usually translated into English.
Place names
Wherever possible, the website uses the place names and spellings that were in use in the 1930s and early 1940s. Concentration camps and places in Poland and the Czech Republic generally had German names. For this reason, the names Auschwitz, and Theresienstadt are not translated. An exception is made for people who were born in these places before they became part of the Third Reich.
Since the 1930s, some Dutch cities and towns have ceased to exist or merged with others, and new ones have been established. The Monument is based on the historical situation, and not the current one. For example, Scheveningen is considered part of The Hague, as it was in the 1930s and 1940s. Other cities and towns, such as Hillegersberg, were then independent but later merged with others – in this case, Rotterdam.
Some street names have changed, as well. In August 1942, street names that had Jewish connotations or referred to the Dutch royal house were changed by order of the occupying forces. For instance, Saphartistraat in Amsterdam was renamed Muiderschans, and Wilhelminalaan in Rotterdam became Bergpolderlaan. Because the Digital Monument is based primarily on gemeentelijsten from 1941, the street names used then are also used here.
Other streets were renamed after the war, such as Noorder Amstellaan and Zuider Amstellaan in Amsterdam, which are now called Churchilllaan and Rooseveltlaan. Some city streets disappeared entirely during the postwar period of urban renewal. Two examples, both in Amsterdam, are Joden Houttuinen and Zwanenburgerstraat.
Well-known individuals
Keep in mind that official names do not always correspond to the names by which people are best known. This is usually because people became well-known under a nickname or unofficial personal name. The Digital Monument uses the official name. For instance, according to her birth certificate, Anne Frank was named Annelies Maria Frank. Another example is Etty Hillesum, whose official name was Esther Hillesum. And then there is the young boy, left as a foundling, who was called Remi van Duinwijck. Not until long after the war was his true name discovered: Koenraad Huib Gezang.