Manuel Chasler, born 28 February 1885 in Odessa, was a son of Kalman Chasler and Enna Lebo. Originally he was a grain inspector but during his stay in Holland (Rotterdam), he was also working as a merchant and as shopkeeper in ladiesfashion.
On 8 April 1905 Manuel arrived from Odessa in Rotterdam, still unmarried and stayed with his cousin Jules Constant Lebo and his wife Fanny Herzbergen. Since 1906 Manuel lived in for some time with his brother Jankel Chasler and his family, but he left for Argentina in 1912, where he married on 24 April 1912 in Avellaneda (province of Buenos Aires) to the in Paris (France) born but residing in Buenos Aires Bellina Davidoff. After their return in Rotterdam, their son Carl was born on 24 July 1913, who however has been killed in Sobibor on 20 March 1943.
On 18 May 1915 the Chasler family moved to London, where the children Jane (1916) and Henry (1918) were born. In 1919 the family, now five persons, returned to Rotterdam.
A grandchild of Manuel and Bellina tells about the fate of the grandparents Manuel and Bellina:
Manuel Chasler was my father Henry Chasler's father, who was arrested, along with his wife Bellina as they were attempting to leave Holland. He opted to return to his country of birth, Russia, where he was taken into custody, questioned and, maybe even tortured. He was never seen again. According to correspondence we have via the Red Cross Bellina was transported to a labour camp in Siberia where she died and was buried by a fellow inmate.
Jane and Henry Chasler, who were born in London, have survived the war. Their brother Carl however was registered Transit Camp Westerbork on 12 March 1943 and stayed there in barack 66 as he was considered as a "ciminal case", and as "criminal case" deported to Sobibor on 17 March where he upon arrival there immediately has been killed on 20 March 1943.
City Archive of Rotterdam, family registration cards of Manuel Chasler, Jankel Chasler and the People's Registry of Rotterdam; website www.wiewaswie.nl and the file cabinet of the Jewisch Council, registration card of Carl Chasler and an addition of a visitor of this website (Twin2).