Biography

About Aaron Swaab

Aaron Swaab, a son of Joseph Swaab and Jetje Berkhof, married Sara Baruch on 17 July 1929 in Amsterdam, a daughter of Abraham Baruch and Betje van Gelder.
His siblings who also have been killed durig the Holocaust were Benedictus, Hartog, Mozes, Sientje, Anna, Samuel, and Heintje.
City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration card of Joseph Swaab and website www.wiewaswie.nl.

Aaron Swaab joined the Hollandia-Kattenburg clothing factory in Amsterdam, on 10 March 1935. On Wednesday, 11 November 1942, around 4:30 PM, Willy Lages conducted the Sicherheitspolizei raid on the Hollandia factories. All exits were blocked and the Jewish staff members were taken away that evening. Photographs of all workers taken away that evening, as well as those deported previously, appear in the 'Boek der tranen' [Book of tears].
On the accusation of having distributed 'De Waarheid', an illegal publication and to have appealed for sabotage of the production of raincoats destined for the German army by working slowly or by sabotaging the conveyor belt, a number of employees were arrested. In January 1943, a court case was held against a first group of five in Utrecht. A second court case against another five employees eventually never took place. The five Jews were transferred to Westerbork to serve as exemplary punishment and from there deported to Auschwitz. Aaron Swaab was one of them.
//Jewish Historical Museum, Documents collection, inv.nr B1376, 'Boek der tranen' [Book of tears]
B. Braber, Zelfs als wij zullen verliezen. Joden in verzet en illegaliteit in Nederland 1940-1945 (Amsterdam, 1990) 115 and 178, reference 71//