Biography

About Marianne Machin, her sister Betsij Wonsou-Machin and her family.

Marianne Machin was a daugther of Hirch Machin from Minsk and Susanna Löwenstein from Enschede. She was unmarried  and was employed as department chief piece goods and later as buyer in a multiple shop.

Since 5 September 1919 was she living in as unmarried sister with her sister Betsij Machin, who was married 22 November 1911 in Zaandam to the Amsterdam taylor Simcha Wonsou, born 5 July 1888 as son of Mozes Levie Wonsou and Taute Boonstein, both from Plotsk in Russia.

After their wedding, Simcha Wonsou and his wife Betsij Machin lived at Kerkstraat 360 in Amsterdam, where their daughter Susanna was born on 6 November 1913. They moved to Amstel 312 on 5 June 1915 and per 13 June 1931 their address became Sarphatipark 125-upperhouse. Their last move was 19 March 1941 to Waalstraat 70 3rd floor in Amsterdam.

Susanna Wonsou was the first from the Wonsou family who was carried off to Westerbork. Already 22 August 1942 she was registered in the camp, despite her “sperre”  by the Jewish Council – her “exemption because of function” . She worked as cleaning woman since 22 July 1942 in Café J. Lok. Her father followed one month later; he was registered in Westerbork on 22 September 1942, whereby he made a request  “to take care of his wife who stayed behind”.  On 25 September Susanna and her father Simcha were put on transport to Auschwitz and on arrival there on 28 September 1942 immediately killed.

After her husband was taken to Westerbork 22 September 1942, Betsij Wonsou-Machin and her sister Marianne Machin stayed behind at Waalstraat 70 3rd floor. However already two days later, on 24 September Betsij was also carried off to Westerbork. Her husband was deported the next day, however not Betsij. She stayed in Westerbork, till her sister Marianne arrived in Westerbork too after she was arrested during the large scale raids in Amsterdam of 3-5 October 1942. They were both deported to Auschwitz on 9 October and on arrival there on 12 October  1942 they were killed.

Sources: City Archive of Amsterdam, archive cards of Marianne Machin, Betsij Machin, Simcha Wonsou and Susanna Wonsou; family registration card of Simcha Wonsou; residence card of Sarphatiepark 125 and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Marianne Machin, Betsij Wonsou-Machin (findable as Wonsoff without date of birth), Simcha Wonsou (spelled as Wonson) and Susanna Wonsou.

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