Elly Premsela was born on 29 October 1914 in Assendelft. She was a daughter of family doctor Benedictus (Bernhard) Premsela. In 1918 the Premsela’s moved to Amsterdam. After the war her brother described the family where Elly Premsela was raised as ‘progressive, socialist and without taboo’.
In the thirties of the twentieth century Elly Premsela went to the Nieuwe Kunstschool (New Artschool) in Amsterdam. This school was inspired by the conception of art of the Bauhaus. After this Elly Premsela got courses in sculpture and drawing.
She was married to Max Wessel.
Thesaurus of the Jewish Historical Museum
See for more information J. van Adrichem (et al.), Rebel, mijn hart : kunstenaars 1940-1945 (Zwolle 1995) 163 and the website of De Zaanstreek in de Tweede Wereldoorlog.