Biography

About Minna Pinhachik- Pen and her family

Minna Pen, born in 1889 in Vilnius, arrived in Rotterdam in August 1908. She was a daughter of  Abraham Pen en Gasja Taksitzky. On 18 September 1918 at age 29, she married in Rotterdam the Russian Orthodox Max Pinhachik, aged 38 from Ludowin (Russia), a son of Gerch Pinhachik and Gaje Kaznelson. He was registered in the Rotterdam Peoples registry in August 1906.

Minna Pen had three daughters: Liza in 1909, Sprinca in 1910 and Crona in 1911. Her youngest daughter however died already after six months; her other two daughters were legalized at the time of her wedding to Max Pinhachik on 18 September 1918.

A few times however, Minna’s husband was taken ill in the psychiatric hospital Maasoord in Poortugaal.  The first time in 1924 and the second time in 1926. On 8 February 1930 Max Pinhachik passed away in Rotterdam.

Minna Pinhachik-Pen, her husband and children stayed in Rotterdam at various addresses but since July 1940 Minna and her daughters Liza and Sprinca lived at Povenierssingel 71a in Rotterdam. On 17 September 1942 they were registered in Camp Westerbork (as Pinchaschick instead Pinhachik) and were deported to Auschwitz on 28 September. Immediately upon arrival there they were killed on 1 October 1942.

City Archive of Rotterdam, family registration cards of Max Pinhachik and Minna Pen; Registration of deaths of Minna, Liza and Sprinca Pinhachik at the City Archive of Rotterdam and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Minna, Liza en Spurica (Sprinca) Pinchaschick (Pinhaschik).

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