Sara Polak, the youngest of the two daughters of Jonas Polak and Marianne Schouten, was bon in Amsterdam on 24 September 1922, when her parents and elder sister Lena lived at Weesperstraat 35. In 1929 another relocation followed to their last address in the Netherlands: Retiefstraat 110 1st floor in Amsterdam-East.
Sara Polak married even still before she was deported. As well Sara as her future spouse Joseph Polak were called on 21 July 1942 for the so-called “Arbeitseinsatz” but apparently they received got postponement of deportation. On 30 July 1942 they got married in Camp Westerbork.
Joseph was a son of Aron Polak and Esther Bierschenk. He was born in Amsterdam on 20 January 1921 and was a leather worker by profession. His mother passed away already in 1933 and was interred in the Jewish Cemetery in Diemen. Joseph, his father and his stepmother Roosje Polk, as well as his three sisters Rachel, Judith and Eva resided at the 3rd floor of Retiefstraat 100.
From the data of their registration cards from the Jewish Council, it can be read that Sara and Joseph were deported to Auschwitz already the very next day, 31 July 1942. Upon arrival there, both were put to work but where and what kind of work had to be done there is unknown, nor the exact date of their death.
After the war, the Dutch Authorities have established, partly based on researches and testimonials of survivors, that Joseph and Sara no longer could be alive after 30 September 1942. The Municipality of Amsterdam then was commissioned to draw up certificates of death for both of them, in which is recorded that Joseph Polak and Sara Polak-Polak have died in Auschwitz on 30 September 1942.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Jonas Polak, archive cards of Sara Polak and Joseph Polak; Amsterdam birth certificate 9678 dated 25 Sept 1922 for Sara Polak; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Joseph Polak ans Sara Polak-Polak and the death certificatd 219 dated 29 Sept 1950 from the A-register 53-folio 38 for Sara Polak-Polak and for Joseph Polak nr. 445 dated 22 Sept 1950 from the A-register 51-folio 76.
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