Lion Mordechai Wagenaar was born in Frankfurt am Main in Germany on 3 March 1920 as the eldest of the three children of Alexander Wagenaar and Ella Helena Dzialoszynski, who were married in Frankfurt am Main on 6 December 1918. On 3 September 1921 was born there Berta Helena and on 3 November 1924 Abraham.
The family arrived in August 1926 from Frankfurt in Amsterdam and lived at various addresses then, among others at Blasiusstraat 32, Hemonystraat 45 and Meerhuizenplein 14. On 4 August 1938 they moved into a house at Zomerdijkstraat 25 1st floor in Amsterdam-South, which would also turn out to be their last known address in the Netherlands.
Lion’s father Alexander Wagenaar however already passed away two years later, on 31 December 1930 and he was interred in the Jewish Cemetery at Muiderberg on 1 January 1931. His mother Ella then moved on 19 February 1931 from Blasiusstraat to Hemonystraat 45, after which the then still 11-year old Lion, together with is 6-year old little brother Abraham were placed on 10 March 1931 in the Dutch Israëlitic Boys Orphanage Megadlé Jethomiem at Amstel 21 in Amsterdam. Lion’s mother Ella then provided for herself and her daughter as boarding house keeper.
Lion coud stay in the Jewish Boys Orphanage untill his 18th birthday, i.e. till March 1938, after which he moved in with his mother and sister at Zomerdijkstraat 25 1st floor. His little brother Abraham also stayed in the Orphanage until his 18th birthdaty; during the mandatory registration of all Jews in the Netherlancds in 1941, he was still registered by the Jewosh Council at the address Amstel 21, which has been altered in 1942 in Zomerdijkstraat 25 1st floor.
The Amsterdam Police reports from the district police station Pieter Aertsstraat show that Lion Mordechai Wagenaar was arrested on 10 February 1943 by two police officers, who served with the dog brigade, and brought him from Waalstraat at 9 p.m. to the police station The report reads: "Lion Mordechai Wagenaar, born in Frankfurt am Main, a furrier by profession, living at Zomerdijkstraat 25 1st floor in Amsterdam. He is suspected of forging an identity card, was on the public road after 8 p.m., is a Jew and was wearing no star. He remains at the disposal of the Jewish Affairs Office" (bureau Joodsche Zaken), where he was transferred the next day at 10:15 am.
Notes on his Jewish Council registration card indicate that Lion Mordechai Wagenaar was subsequently transferred to prison and on 19 February 1943 to the Vught concentration camp. He stayed there until the beginning of April and was then sent to the JDL (Juden Durchgangs Lager) Westerbork, where he ended up with his luggage in barrack 57 (and not in the penal barrack 67). But a few days later, on 6 April, he was put on a so-called penal transport to Sobibor, where Lion Mordechai Wagenaar was murdered immediately in the gas chambers upon arrival on 9 April 1943.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Alexander Wagenaar; archive cards of Lion Mordechai Wagenaar, Abraham Wagenaar, Berta Helena Wagenaar and Ella Helena Dzialoszynski; Special Registers/Lion Mordechai Wagenaar and Abraham Wagenaar/patients in the Dutch Israëlitic Boys Orphanage at Amstel 21; website Joods Amsterdam/Megadlé Jethomiem; Amsterdam residence cards of Hemonystaat 45, Meerhuizenplein 14 en Zomerdijkstraat 25; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Lion Mordechai Wagenaar; The book "Vernietigingskamp Sobibor," (Extermination Camp Sobibor) by Jules Schelvis, 2nd edition including transport lists/transport list of 6 April 1943 Häftlinge (prisoners) and the death certificate 588 from the A-register 8-folio 100 dated 27 Januari 1950, made out by the Municipality of Amsterdam.