Abraham Raphael Montezinos, born in 1902 in Amsterdam, was a son of Haim Raphael Montezinos and Pauline Hermine Fuldauer. He married in Berchem (Antwerp) on 10 January 1928 to Emma Meyer (Meijer), a daughter of Abraham Meyer (Meijer) and Joanna Esser. The couple had one son: Raphael Alexander, who was born 11 December 1928.
Abraham Raphael Montezinos had a brother David and two sisters, Marianne and Esther. His brother and his family moved to Egypt in 1934. Of his sisters is nothing further known; they might have survived the Holocaust.
Abraham Raphael Montezinos came already to Belgium in 1926 to provide for his own maintance by cleaving diamonds for own account. After his marriage and birth of his son, Abraham Raphael Montezinos and his family stayed alternately in Berchem and Scheveningen (where his parents lived). His last known address was Granaatstraat 23 in Berchem (Antwerp).
On 15 January 1943 Abraham Raphael Montezinos was deported with Convoy XVIII (18) from Mechelen to Auschwitz, which arrived there three days later on 18 January 1943. This convoy consists 1555 persons, of whom 1087 persons were killed immediately in the gas chambers upon arrival the 18th of January 1943. Of the remaining 468 persons only 4 were still alive when the camp was liberated. Abraham Raphael was 40 years old when he arrived in Auschwitz and it could be possible that he has belonged to the group of persons who was forced to do hard labor. His official certificate of death, issued by the Municipality of Berchem (Year 1957 nr. II) shows that his death was registered on 15 January 1943 (the date convoy XVIII was left Mechelen), “in an unkown place”.
His wife and son, Emma Meyer (Meijer) and Raphael Alexander were already deported to Auschwitz with Convoy VI (6) which left Mechelen on 27 August 1942. This convoy contained 1000 persons and it was the first Belgian convoy which stopped at Kozel, were 280 boys and men between 15 and 50 year had to leave the train, to do hard labor in the surrounding camps. It is not impossible that Raphael Alexander – then 14 years old – belonged to that group which implies that presumably he has died in one of those camps at an unknown date. The remaining convoy arrived in Auschwitz on 30 Augustus 1942, consisting only 720 women, who were all killed immediately there at that same day.
The official certificate of death for Emma Meyer (Meijer), issued by the Municipality of Berchem (Year 1957 nr. II BR) shows as date- and place of death “29 August 1942 in an unknown place”. But it is rather certain that Emma Montezinos-Meyer (Meijer) was killed immediately upon arrival of the remaining convoy XI in Auschwitz on 30 August 1942.
That does not apply Raphael Alexander Montezinos. He did not belong to the “women”who werd killed upon arrival in Auschwitz on 30 August 1942. It is more likely that he belonged to the group of 280 boys and men who had to leave the train at Kozel. It is therefore unclear where and when he has died. His official certificate of death (Year 1957 Nr. II BR), issued by the Municipality of Berchem shows here too that Raphael Alexander Montzinos has died “on 29 August 1942 in an unknown place”.
Municipal Archive of Berchem, nr. 20913; Municipal Archive of Den Haag, family registration card of Abraham Raphael Montezinos; Certificates of death II BR of 28 January 1957 for Abraham Raphael Montezinos, Emma Meyer (Meijer), spouse of Montzinos and Raphael Alexander Montezinos, issued by the Municipality of Berchem and the Memorial of the deportation of the Belgian Jews, pages 388, 382, 29 en 23..