Elzenstraat 3

Mayor Sander Schelberg and Antek Olszanowski of Living Past East Netherlands have laid a memorial stone for Hennie Cohen on Friday April 3, 2020. Who was Hennie Cohen?

Simon Cohen lived at 3 Elzenstraat. In 1939 he married Malvin Roth from Romania. For Simon this was his second marriage, from the first he had three children, Levie Juliette and Izak. Simon Cohen was a fruit and vegetable trader on Wolter and Catestraat. Shortly after the German invasion, his sons managed to escape to England and his daughter went into hiding. Around October 1, 1942, many Jews in Hengelo receive the message that they must report on October 2 and that message also comes to the Cohens.

From that moment on, their history is no longer clear. They go into hiding for sure. On December 3, 1942, an investigation notice appears in which the police commissioner indicates that the couple has left without leaving a new place of residence or residence.

The couple reappears late in the war. They have been arrested and are being detained in Scheveningen. From there, they are deported to Westerbork on 5 September 1943. On Tuesday February 8, 1944 they are transported to Auschwitz. According to information from Westerbork, there are only personal cards of the couple. On departure from Westerbork, the transport counts 1015 people. On arrival in Auschwitz, 1016 people are counted. The list of names contains 1 extra person who is described as "Hennie Cohen born June 29, 1943". Almost all arrived arrive directly to the gas chamber. The death list also includes Simon and Malvin, as well as Hennie.

Historians have long thought that Hennie Cohen was born during the transport from Westerbork to Auschwitz. Because of this uncertainty, we have placed a Stumbling Stone for Simon and Malvin Cohen on Elzenstraat 3, but not for Hennie. Last year, however, it was established by archive research by Wim den Oudsten that Hennie was not born during the said transport. That is why we have chosen to place a Stumbling Stone for Hennie Cohen. The Stumbling Stone for Hennie is placed between that of Simon and Malvin Cohen.

It is absolutely certain that a Jewish child born on June 29, 1943 could not be reported. It is therefore not recorded anywhere in the registry office. It is not even known whether it was a boy or a girl. Even in Westerbork that must have been a dilemma because all camp residents were also included in the population register. There is no indication whatsoever in the administration of Westerbork.

The name of Hennie Cohen can be found in various files. The lists for Auschwitz seem to be the basis for all the information because the same mistake is made everywhere. In the lists of Auschwitz there is talk of Hennie (with i-e) but elsewhere she is referred to as Henny (with Greek Y). That could make the difference between a boy and a girl. Everywhere is indicated as Hengelo birthplace. Research on Jewish people in hiding in Hengelo does not show that sneak births took place. But nothing is impossible, after all, it was wartime.

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