Anna Swaan was born in Antwerp on 12 March 1925 as a daughter of Bertha Penha and Eliazer Swaan, who was known in Belgium as dealer in prams. Anna’s parents and two previous born children Nathan and Rebecca had come already in September 1919 to Antwerp where they lived at Somerstraat 11. In May 1935 the family moved to Provinciestraat 209 and on 20 October 1936 they were registered at the address Plantin en Moretuslei 73 in Borgerhout. Anna’s mother Bertha Penha however passed away on 30 June 1938 and in December 1938 another move followed to house no. 157 in the same street.
In of after 1939 they returned to the Netherlands, where Anna was registered at the address Haagweg 155 in Rijswijk. Presumably, Anna has made efforts to go into hiding, which has failed; on 15 January 1943 she was arrested and brought to Westerbork, where she ended up in the penal barrack 67. Her registration cards then stated her last known address as Jan Blankenstraat 30, located on the corner of the Hoefkade in the center of the city.
Also Anna's “luggage” was taken to Anna's barrack 67 and remained there as long as Anna had to stay there, waiting for her deportation. Only on 23 February, the 17-year olf Anna and another 1100 deportees were put on transport to Auschwitz which arrived there on 26 February 1943. The certificate of death of Anna Swaan show that she has died on 26 February in “the surroundings of Auschwitz”, which usually meant that she has been gassed at the date as mentioned, in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Sources include the Municpal Archive of Den Haag, family registration card of Eliazer Swaan; the Dossier of Foreigners of the City of Antwerp, no.142034 images 499-519 for Eliazer Swaan; Dossier of Foreigners of the Municality of Borgernout, no. 4670 for Eliazer Swaan; the file cabinet of the Jewish Counicil, registration cards of Anna Swaan and the certificate of death no. 2921 foor Anna Swaan, made out in Den Haag on 18 August 1951.