Alexander Ossendrijver, born 3 October 1889 in Amsterdam as son of Andries Ossendrijver and Hanna de Vries, married 21 May 1911 the 2-year elder Simha Pesaro, a daughter of Mozes Pesaro and Hanna van Minden. The couple had two sons, namely Andries in 1912 and Max in 1917. All were killed during the Shoah.
After their wedding, Alexander and Simha lived at Govert Flinckstraat 287 parterre, where also their children were born. He was a supervisor at the poorhouse but Alexander also earned his money as a diamond polisher. On 3 November 1917 the Ossendrijver family left Amsterdam for Veenhuizen, municipality of Norg (Drenthe), were he was employed as “room overseer 2nd class at the former "Colony of Benevolence", till they returned to Amsterdam on 15 October 1919.
Back in Amsterdam the family stayed for some time with Mozes Pesaro at Nieuwe Achtergracht 146 3rd floor, the father-in-law of Alexander Ossendrijver. On 5 September 1921, the family moved in a house in Retiefstraat 104 1st floor in Amsterdam-East, but during the summer of 1926, the family stayed for some time in Hotel Ville Beau Séjour in Prinshendrikstraat in Oosterbeek, municipality of Renkum.
Since September 1926 Alexander and his wife and children lived again in Amsterdam, among others in Ruyschstraat 92 2nd floor but 27 December 1933 they moved to Plantage Muidergracht 77 3rd floor. In 1942 they moved in shortly with their son Andries, who was married 20 December 1933 to Henriette Franco and who lived with his family at Nieuwe Achtergracht 103 3rd floor. A few months later Alexander and his family moved to Meerhuizenplein 20 1st floor in Amsterdam-South, which became also their last known address in Amsterdam.
Their son Max was a furrier by profession and unmarried. He lived at home with his parents but was already registered in Westerbork on 20 July 1942. After one week, Max and more than 1000 others were deported to Auschwitz on 27 July and on arrival there on 30 July, Max was selected as “laborer”. It is not known on which date exact and where Max has lost his life. Therefore the Dutch Ministery of Justice has ordered the Municipality of Amsterdam after the war to draw up a certificate of death for Max Ossendrijver, in which his date and place of death has been established as on 30 September 1942 in Auschwitz.
Alexander Ossendrijver and his wife Simha Pesaro were carried off to Westerbork on 8 August 1942 and put on transport to Auschwitz on 14 August. On arrival there Simha Pesaro has been killed immediately on 16 August 1942. Meanwhile Alexander was selected as "laborer" too and had to perform hard labor in- or outside the camp. The exact date and place of his death is not known, reason why the Dutch Ministery of Justice has ordered the Municipality of Amsterdam after the war to draw up a certificate of death for Alexander Ossendrijver, in which his date and place of death has been established as on 30 September 1942 in Auschwitz.
Sources among others: City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Alexander Ossendrijver and Mozes Pesaro, archive cards of Alexander Ossendrijver, Simha Pesaro, Max and Andries Ossendrijver and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Alexander Ossendrijver, Simha Ossendrijver-Pesaro, Max Ossendrijver and Andries Ossendrijver.