Joseph Berg was a son of Levi Berg and Elisabeth Bos. He was a commercial traveller and just as his wife, also born at Stad Almelo. Presumably at the end of 1941 or in the early months of 1942, Joseph Berg married Jeannette Mietje Simon, a daughter of David Simon and Nettchen Kahn.
Joseph and his wife however were already sent 18 November 1942 to Camp Westerbork and six days later, on 24 November deported to Auschwitz. His wife Jeannette Mietje (then three months pregnant), was killed immediately upon arrival there on 27 November 1942, but the date of death of Joseph Berg was only established on 31 March 1944, somewhere in Mid-Europe. This makes it plausible that Joseph had to withstand hardships and was forced to do hard labor for a long time before he eventually lost his life.
Although deported Jews were forced to do hard labor for the Nazis in many places, like i.e. Auschwitz III, it is not impossible that Joseph Berg belonged to the so-called “Cosel-group”. The date of transport of 24 November 1942, in which Joseph was deported direction Auschwitz, fell exactly during the period which became known as the “Cosel-period”, of which is known the following:
The period between 28 August till 12 December 1942 was known as the so-called “Cosel-period”. Named as such, as a number of transports with deported Jews from Belgium, France and Holland were stopped at Cosel station, about 80 km west from Auschwitz, where the Germans unloaded men who were suitable to work in the surrounding camps in the region. Those who remained in the train, were sent on to Auschwitz.
During this period, about 9000 men from 39 trains to Auschwitz, were taken there by the Germans. From them, 3500 men in 18 trains came from Westerbork. Only 700-900 have survived the war and from those 3500 men from Westerbork, only 181, and from them, 126 from the camp Blechhammer.
The freight station/depot of Cosel, the location were selections took place, has not changed significantly since 1942. On 2 September 2016, a monument to commemorate the victims, was revealed by survivors of the victims.
Source: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kozle
Joseph Berg eventually lost his life on 31 March 1944, somewhere in Mid-Europe, but the municipality or place is not known.
www.wiewaswie.nl; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Joseph Berg en Jeannette Mietje Berg-Simon and an addition of a visitor of the website.