Abraham Bierman was a son of Levie Bierman and Sara Italiaander. He was born on 1 April 1902 in Amsterdam and he earned his money as a hawker, shoemaker, rag sorter and rag cutter. On 6 September 1922 he married Rika Sarphatie in Amsterdam, who was born on 4 January 1901 there as a daughter of Mozes Sarphatie and Sara Benavente. The couple had two children: Levie in 1923 and Mozes in 1927.
When Abraham and Rika were married in September 1922, they moved in with his father-in-law Mozes Sarphatie in the Nieuwe Kerkstraat 30-lower part but on 12 November 1924 Abraham Bierman, his wife Rika and little son Levie, but also Mozes Sarphatie and his wife Sara Beneavente to Ambonplein 16 2nd floor in Amsterdam-East. The lower part of the house at nr. 30 remained in use by Abraham Bierman, for his shoemaking.
After having moved to Nieuwe Kerkstraat 26, Sumatraplantsoen 76 ground floor and no. 4 1st stock, they moved on 2 December 1935 into a house in the Cilliersstraat 26 2nd stock. Still two more relocations followed: in May 1939 to Dani Theronstraat 20 2nd floor and in March 1941 to house nr. 24 ground floor in the same street.
In the night of 13/14 May 1943 the entire Bierman family was arrested and carried off to concentration camp Vught, where Abraham was registered with the remark “three Portuguese grandparents”, which seemed to offer possibilities to get a so-called “Zurückstellung” (an exemption from deportation), but which ultimately yielded nothing.
Abraham Bierman and his son Levie, who was a car- and bicycle repairman by trade, where transferred from Vught to the new camp Moerdijk on 29 May 1943, which was a so-called “Aussenkommando” – a Sub Command from Vught, where both ended up in barrack 8. Abraham had prisoners number 880 and Levie 881. Abraham Bierman however was already in the end of June/beginning of July sent back from Moerdijk to Vught and in the night of 2/3 Juli transported to Westerbork, where he then ended up in barrack 93. Levie Bierman still remained then in Moerdijk.
At the same time with Abraham, also his wife Rika Sarphatie and son Mozes were transferred fom Vught to Westerbork in the night of 2/3 July 1943 and they too arrived in barrack 93. On 6 July they were all put on transport to Sobibor and upon arrival there on 9 July 1943, they were immediately murdered in the gas chambers.
Levie Bierman still remained in barrack 8 in Camp Moerdijk. But after his return in Vught, somewhere in September, he was transported to Westerbork only on 16 September 1943 and accommodated in barrack 63, awaiting deportation. On 16 November, Levie Bierman was deported to Auschwitz with the last transport of 1943. (last transport of this year due to need of train material for the military and Christmas recess and a quarantine of the camp due to polio).
Upon arrival at the “Rampe” – platform of Auschwitz-Birkenau on 18/19 November, Levie Bierman was selected as “fit to work” and was put to work in the camp. Not known is what kind of “work” he had to do, but known is however that this has taken place under inhumane and extremely harsh conditions. Not known is on which date exactly Levie Bierman lost his life there and where.
However, the Dutch Authorities have established after the war, also based on testimonies of survivors, researches and other informations, that Levie Bierman no longer could be alive after 31 March 1944. The Municpality of Amsterdam then was commissioned to draw up a certificate of death for Levie Bierman, in which is established that he has died in the vicinity of Auschwitz on 31 March 1944.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Abraham Bierman, archive cards of Abraham Bierman, Rika Sarphatie and Levie Bierman; residence card of the Nieuwe Kerkstraat 30 lower part in Amsterdam; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Abraham Bierman, Rika Bierman-Sarphatie, Levie and Mozes Bierman; website ITS Arolson, camp cards Vught of Abraham Bierman, Rika Bierman-Sarphatie, Levie and Mozes Bierman; the death certificate for Levie Bierman, made up in Amsterdam on 147 Sept 1951, nr. 40 from the A-register 86-folio 8verso and the Wikipedia website jodentransporten vanuit Nederland.nl.