Esther Schelvis, a daughter of Benedictus Schelvis and Eva Italiaander, married Nathan Hakker on 6 June 1906 in Amsterdam, a son of Hijman Hakker and Sientje de Klijn. Esther and Nathan were both born in Amsterdam, she on 9 April 1888 and he on 4 December 1887. Nathan Hakker earned his money as a hawker and trader in fruit and vegetables and owned later a greengrocer’s shop in the Beethovenstraat in Amsterdam.
Between 1906 and 1923, ten children were born in the Hakker-Schelvis family: on 31 August 1906 their first born came, Sientje, followed by Eva on 30 September 1907. Then came their son Hijman on 1 May 1909, and on 10 September 1911 Betje. On 12 September 1913 Leentje was born and on 17 October 1915 followed by the twin Grietje and Reintje. On 25 July 1917 Benjamin came and on 16 August 1920 Marianna. And as the youngest of them all, Salomon who was born on 8 July 1922.
After Esther and Nathan were married in June 1906, they lived at Batavierstraat 77, but moved early September 1909 to Jodenbreestraat 15 2nd floor, where they have resided about 17 years. Only on 26 March 1926, they moved again, this time to the Moddermolensteeg 7 ground floor and six years later, on 2 October 1930 they moved into a house at the Krugerstraat 27 1st stock in the Transvaal district of Amsterdam East. On 23 August the moved into a house in the Beethovenstraat 58, where Nathan had his greengrocer’s shop. The last relocation followed on 1 September 1942 to the Kromme Mijdrechtstraat 14 1st floor in the River district of Amsterdam.
Of the ten Hakker children, nine were already married in May 1942. Only Marianna lived at home. She was engaged to Wolf Lesgever, a son of Salomon Lesgever and Grietje Gompers from the Jodenbreestraat 75, who was born on 11 August 1920 but who was already murdered in Mauthausen on 20 August 1941. Due to that, she still lived with her parents in the Beethovenstraat. One year later, on 10 August 1942, she was deported from Westerbork to Auschwitz where she was murdered on 23 September 1942.
The youngest of the children, Salomon from 1922, who was married on 14 April 1942 to Anna Peeper from the Pretoriusstraat 95, went living in after his marriage with his wife and parents-in-law, Barend Peeper and Grietje Frank. Salomon Hakker and his wife Anna were together deported to Auschwitz on 14 August 1942. After the war, the Dutch Authorities have established that they both were murdered there on 30 September 1942.
Two weeks later, after their son and daughter-in-law were deported, Nathan Hakker and his wife Esther Schelvis moved for the last time: on 1 September 1942 their address was Kromme Mijdrechtstraat 14 1st floor in Amsterdam-South. Due to his work as greengrocer and fruiterer, Nathan obtained a function with the Jewish Council as controller of the vegetable distribution at the Nieuwe Keizersgracht 58, and because of that, exemption from deportation too. Also his wife Esther was exempted from deportation for the time being.
However, on Sunday 20 June 1943, the Germans held a large-scale and secretly prepared round-up; neigourhoods in Amsterdam-South and the Transvaal district in Amsterdam-East were closed in order to carry off the not yet deported Jewish residents. More than 5500 Jews were arrested and carried away to Westerbork, among them also Nathan Hakker and his wife Esther Schelvis. In Westerbork Nathan ended up in barrack 71 and Esther in barrack 65. More than a week later, on 29 June, both were put on transport to Sobibor and upon arrival there on 2 July 1943 immediately murdered in the gas chambers.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration card of Nathan Hakker, archive cards of Nathan Hakker and Esther Schelvis; residence cards of Amsterdam/Krugerstrata 27 and Beethovenstraat 58; website Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau/Auschwitz Prisoners/Marianna Hakker; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Nathan Hakker, Esther Schelvis, Marianna Hakker, Salomon Hakker and Anna Peeper; an addition by Nathan Hakker from Israel made in December 2012 and an addition of a visitor of the website.