Biography

The fate of Abraham Leidensdorff, his wife Dina de Lange and their children Maja Clara and Herman Marius.

Abraham Leidensdorff, a son of Meijer Leidensdorff and Clara Hammelburg, married 10 March 1894 Dina de Lange from Elburg, one of the nine children of Joseph de Lange and Matje Hamberg. The Leidendorff couple lived at Nieuwendijk 13 down floor in Amsterdam where they had a store with galanteris and fancy goods.

Abraham and Dina had three children, namely Martin, who died in 1927 already after one month; 23 February 1928 their daughter Maja Clara was born and 21 June 1932 Herman Marius. The complete family of Abraham Leidensdorff has been killed 11 February 1944 in Auschwitz.

Abraham Leidensdorff was born into a family with five children, of whom only his brother Hessel survived the Shoah. The other siblings, namely Keetje, Rachel, Joseph and Abraham self were killed during the Holocaust. His mother Clara Hammelburg was killed in Auschwitz 12 February 1943; Abraham’s father Meijer Leidensdorff passed away in Amsterdam already 16 February 1919 and was interred in the Jewish Cemetery at Muiderberg.

Dina de Lange had eight siblings, of whom Hartog, Jannetje and Mietje have survived the Holocaust; her baby-sister Eva died in 1893, only a few months old. But Aaron, Machiel Aaron, Jacob, Betje and she herself were killed in the Shoah. Dina’s father, born 1847 in Elburg, died in his residence 15 June 1919. Her mother Matje Hamberg passed away in Elburg too, on 26 March 1941.

The Leidensdorff family was deported to Westerbork 23 September 1943 and locked in at barack 67. Later, Abraham and his wife Dina were transferred to barack 66, while their children remained in barack 67. After having stayed for more than four months in Westerbork, they were all put on transport 8 February 1944 to Auschwitz and on arrival there 11 February 1944 all have been immediately killed.  

City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration of Meijer Leidensdorff and archive card of Abraham Leidensdorff; website www.wiewaswie.nl and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of  Abraham Leidensdorff, Dina Leidensdorf-de Lange, Maja and Herman Leidensdorff.

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