Korte Meerhuizenstraat 6

Leo was one year old when his father died. There were 5 other children and his mother - Marie Wessels - could not really take care of them. Leo therefore lived in the Jewish orphanage in Leiden from the age of 7. There he received a good upbringing and went to the craft school where he became a learning worker. At the end he worked in Leiden at a learning maker.

After his 18th birthday in November 1940, Leo came to live with his sister Jetty in the Korte Meerhuizenstraat in Amsterdam.

Jetty was married to Louis Pimentel, they had two daughters, Selma and Miep. Selma later became my mother. My grandmother Jetty loved her brother's 12 year younger. My mother remembered her young uncle too. And I in turn loved my grandma Jetty much later.

It is not certain whether Leo has also been working as a learning worker in Amsterdam. The war had already begun, finding work was hard for a Jewish boy. On March 31, 1942, just like thousands of other Jewish boys and men, Leo was forced to live and work somewhere in the Netherlands in a Jewish labor camp. That was a sneaky way of the Germans to get all those men from their families and after a short time to lock them to Westerbork.

Leo ended up in the Kremboong labor camp, in Drente, not far from Westerbork. The men had to reclaim the heath, in the service of the Heidemaatschappij who liked to use this cheap work.

Leo actually didn't have a bad time. The first month it was too cold to get a spa in the ground, but later he worked in shorts and bare torso in the open air, a rural life that he had never known. There were friends of his from Amsterdam. They often left the camp. There was almost enough to eat, although they were very afraid that it would be less.

On July 18, 1942 - so after four months - Kremboong was lifted and the men had to walk to Westerbork. On arrival they were asked if they immediately wanted to travel to a "labor camp in the east". A number of friends of Leo did that, but Leo was stopped by a telegram of sister Jetty!

In Westerbork he managed to make himself useful with various jobs, so he kept it out for quite a long time.

Leo was a lot of worries in both Kremboong and Westerbork. Leo lived on the packages and letters from sister Jetty and, for example, was afraid that they would be banned.

With around 80 people, Leo's family had a major procedure to be declared "non-Jewish" and Leo always asked Jetty what it was with that. His mother, who never attracted much of him, also tried to get him free.

For the majority of his relatives, that was indeed successful, but not for Leo. When that result came, he was already in Westerbork, so he could not go into hiding.

Leo was sent to Auschwitz on March 3, 1944, where he also managed to stay alive for a few months.

I would like to let Leo speak by reading a few of his many letters from Kremboong and Westerbork.

On April 20, 1942, Leo writes: "Dear Jettie, Louis and all. In the first place have you arrived well? I do. We climbed a farm wagon with 15 people and it brought us to the camp. That was a nice place. We have sung all the way and have fun. "

Apparently Jetty and her family had met Leo somewhere near the camp. That was cheerful news, but it was the last time they saw each other. On 23 May, Leo from Kremboong writes a letter of 8 sides about his life there: "We are already leaving the house at 6 o'clock in the morning, and then already go up the farmer to eat. ... Every day we get a liter of full milk from the cow and cooked, for 20 cents. That's not expensive, isn't it? We also eat with their, brown bean soup and then barley, extremely tasty, you know. We eat in a stable, that is very practical. But everything tastes nice. ... only we have to get up at 5 o'clock every day, but we are used to that. That is good for you, such a liter of full milk with thick cream on top and then again an egg with some cheese. "

In that letter he also writes "Last night I had another letter from Leiden, nice, isn't it." Leiden means: the orphanage.

On July 21, Leo Net was in Westerbork and he writes: "I could have gotten married 10 times, but I have no idea at the moment, because otherwise I would have taken away. And I don't feel much for that yet. There were very nice girls. ... a pity that they are only so short here. But yes, there are new ones so we will look again. Jet, if you do your best for me, I hope we will succeed, at least I will be free again. "

Apparently girls sent from Westerbork tried to get married quickly, maybe they hoped for some protection? The handsome Leo was always asked, but the thought he would have to leave while the procedure might free him, did not attract him.

Leo also constantly hangs the transport above the head. In August he writes: "Jet, you have certainly heard that so many guys from our camp are already gone again. I was also there, but I am because I am ordonnans (a kind of shopping boy in the camp) for the time being exempt. But I was already on the list and my name had already been called. But then several people worked for me and luckily I didn't have to come along. But Jet, if you can send me proof that you are exempt for the time being, I will not need to leave, the subcommander told me. "

September 2, 1942, Leo wrote: "I am doing very well. Jet, another transport with 600 people left this week. Again there were 400 boys of ours, so you see it goes fast with us. Bram Muller is still here. Here everything is still going his normal course. Jet, how is that case doing, is it getting along? On Friday another transport will go away. As soon as it's right, send me a telegram. Now write back soon. "

In September 1943 when he has been in Westerbork for 14 months, he writes: "I am currently working again in the field of farmers. We help with the harvest, very nice and nice work. Here everything goes its own way as always. It is very quiet here in the camp, that is no different. It is also quiet in the barracks. ... I hope to see you in Amsterdam soon ... you keep yourself good, I do it too. "

In the meantime he has seen a lot of family, friends and acquaintances in Westerbork coming in and leaving again. He has written about them to Jetty, who sometimes has to give greetings to this and that.

Leo is sick in February 1944. He has diphtheria and ends up in the Westerbork Hospital. On 26 February he writes: "But that's not for me, being in a hospital for four weeks and then still to bed. Kind regards, I am still here. Write back soon.'

A week later Leo goes on transport to Auschwitz. There he was selected to work and he managed to stay alive for a few months until he was murdered on July 31, 1944.

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