Maurits Godschalk was the youngest of the nine children of Salomon Godschalk and Willemina de Lange. He was born in Ommen on 20 December 1882. He married Leentje Coltof in Den Helder on 13 April 1910, who was born in Gorredijk on 1 October 1886 as daughter of Jacob Coltof and Matje Zeckel. The Godschalk-Coltof couple had two children, who were born in Ommen, namely Willemina Matje on 11 February 1911, who was usually called Willy and Jacob Salomon on 21 March 1914, who was known as Jaap.
Maurits Godschalk was a business man. He had a drapery and furniture trade on the Markt in Ommen and he traded in wood. In 1921, however, Maurits Godschalk and his family left Ommen and settled in Den Helder, where he opened a clothing store which grow out to a well known brand in the region. The store was transferred to his son Jaap in 1937.
From March to June 1940, Maurits and Leentje lived in Voorburg but arrived on 20 June 1940 from Voorburg in Castricum and started a ladies fashion store on the groundfloor of the Dorpsstraat 39 building. The store was a branch of the fashion store in Den Helder, which had been transferred to son Jaap and daughter-in-law Judy in 1937.
On 5 March 1942, the Municipality of Castricum was instructed by “the new order”, to provide a list of all its Jewish inhabitants. It concerned 34 “Juden” (Jews), who had to be reported with full name, date and place of birth, marital status and place of residence. Maurits and Leentje were also on this list. Their names were followed by the indication: V.O.W. (Left for Unknown Destination). Accordingly, they ended up on the police investigation register.
In order to escape deportation, Maurits, his wife Leentje and his son Jaap and daughter-in-law Judy went into hiding with the Veldman family at the “the old ferry house”(het oude veerhuis) farm. The remote farm was located on the edge of the woods in the hamlet of Junne near Ommen. At times of imminent danger, the Godschalk family fled to a hideout in thewoods.
On 13 November 1943, there was a bombing raid by the US Air Force on the German port cities of Bremen, Kiel and Flensberg. One of the American bombers that flew from England over the Vecht valley towards Germany, crashed near Ommen. Guards from the nearby “Arbeitseinsatz-lager Erika”, which was located in the woods of Ommen, were sent to investigate and came accross the Godschalk family, who were just on their way to the hideout in the woods. Witnesses have reported that the people in hiding ignored the order “Halt, don't move” which was followd by shots. Maurits Godschalk was hit in the head and died on the spot. He was later buried in the Jewish Cemetery in Ommen.
The three remaining family members Leentje, Jaap and Judy were arrested and then deported via Zwolle and Westerbork with the last transport of 1943 with 992 other deportees to Auschwitz on 16 November, where Leentje and Judy were gassed immediately upon arrival on 19 November 1943. Jaap Godschalk was put to work as a forced labourer and after the war, his place and date of death were established as 31 March 1944 at an unknown place in Poland.
Sources include Makkinga, Martend, Maurits Godschalk. De Darde Klokke; no. 36, a quarterly edition of “ Gemienschop of Old Ommer”, Ommen 1980; Old Castricum-the history of Dorpsstraat and its residents, volume 3, 28th yearbook 2005; Sir. Schokkenbroek, Drama above Ommen. Warner, Gerko, Jewish Homes 4, chapter Koningstraat 58-60, Den Helder; the wikipedia listing of transports of Jews from the Netherlands; additions from visitors of the website and information provided by of surviving members of the family.