Salomon Sjouwerman, a son of Abraham Sjouwerman and Elisabeth Leger, was born in Amsterdam on 11 June 1902. When Salomon was still unmarried, he stayed already in Antwerp up from October 1921 to earn his money as a diamond worker. On 11 October 1923 he married Schoontje van der Veen in Amsterdam, a daughter of Mozes van der Veen and Saartje Bont; she was born there on 28 March 1903.
Salomon and Schoontje had two children together: on 20 March 1924 their son Abraham was born, who however died already on 10 August 1924, only 5 months old and on 19 December 1926, their daughter Sara was born. They did not yet have their own accommodation and then lived in with Schoontje’s parents at Derde Oosterparkstraat 79 1st floor, after they had moved in with Salomon’s parents at Sparrenweg 27 in Amsterdam after their weddingday.
In 1927, Salomon, his wife and little daughter left again for Antwerp, where he was employed in the diamond industry between April 1927 and October 1931 with Messrs. Lezer in Berchem and where he earned Bfrs. 450,- per week. At the end of September 1931 they returned to Amsterdam, were officially unsubscribed in Antwerp then, but since October 1933 till the end of December, Salomon stayed again in Antwerp, living at Wolfstraat 34 and where he then earned a living as street-vendor of vegetables.
The marriage of Salomon and Schoontje did not last and was dissolved by divorce on 10 August 1934 in Amsterdam; his daughter Sara was assigned to Schoontje van der Veen so she came to live with her mother and her new husband Barend Dingsdag.
Also Salomon Sjouwerman remarried: on 29 January 1936 the wedding with Betje Aronius took place, who was born on 16 September 1900 in Zwartsluis, a daughter of Salomon Aronius and Saartje Simon. Betje already worked in Amsterdam for some years as domestic aid. Salomon Sjouwerman then lived at Iepenplein in Amsterdam but with his new spouse they moved together into living space at Sleutelbloemstraat 71 in Amsterdam-North. Thereafter, they moved to Waterlooplein 85 in February 1938 and in May 1939 their address then became Krugerplein 26 in Amsterdam-East.
Salomon and Betje were arrested during the raids of early October 1942 and carried off to Westerbork. On 26 October they were deported to Auschwitz, where upon arrival there Betje Aronius immediately was murdered on 29 October 1942. Salomon Sjouwerman however was put to work as a forced labourer in Auschwitz I and received prisoner-number 71005.
Documents, as found at the website Museum and Memorial Auschwitz-Birkenau show, that Salomon Sjouwerman stayed several times in the prisoner’s hospital of Auschwitz I, which was located in blocks 20 and 28. The preserved register of block 28 show that he was murdered there on 31 March 1943, presumably by a phenol injection.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Salomon Sjouwerman, archive cards of Salomon Sjouwerman and Betje Aronius; Felix Archive Antwerp/Dossier Berchem 13789; Dossier of Foreigners of the City of Antwerp, nr. 167619-image 207-231; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Salomon Sjouwerman and Betje Sjouwerman-Aroniius; website Jodentransporten vanuit Nederland.nl and the website Museum and Memorial Auschwitz-Birkenau/Auschwitz Prisoners/Salomon Sjouwerman.