Abraham Wagenaar was the youngest son of Alexander Wagenaar and Ella Helena Dzialoszynski. He was born in Frankfurt am Main on 3 November 1924, just like his brother Lion Mordechai and sister Berta Helena. Two years later, in August 1926, the Alexander Wagenaar family returned to Amsterdam, where in the first years they found living space at Blasiusstraat 32 1st floor in the East of Amsterdam.
His father Alexander Wagenaar passed away on 31 December 1930, only 37 years old, and the next day, 1 January 1931 interred in the Jewish Cemetery at Muiderberg. Shortly afterwards, on 19 February 1931, the widowed Ella Helena Wagenaar-Dzialoszynski and her family moved to Hemonystraat 45 1st floor.
A few weeks later, on 10 March 1931, the then 6-year old Abraham, together with his older brother Lion Mordechai, were placed in the Jewish Boys Orphanage Megadlé Jethomiem, which was located and in the Zwanenburgerstraat 20 and at Amstel 21. Their mother Ella then started to provide for both of them as a boarding house keeper for herself and their sister Berta.
It was possible to stay in Megadlé Jethomiem until the age of 18. Both Lion Mordecai and Abraham stayed there for so long; Lion Mordechai left the Boys' Orphanage in 1938 at the age of 18 and moved in with his mother and sister, who had since moved to the first floor of Zomerdijkstraat 25 at the beginning of August 1938.
Abraham, who also stayed in the Jewish Boys' Orphanage until he was 18, was registered by the Jewish Council at his "home address" Amstel 21 in 1941 during the compulsory registration of all Jews in the Netherlands. In 1942, when he left the Jewish Boys' Orphanage at the age of 18, the address on his registration card was changed to Zomerdijkstraat 25 1st floor because from that time on he lived with his mother, brother and sister again.
In July 1942, Abraham Wagenaar would have been certainly called up for the so-called “Arbeitseinsatz”, but from the date stamp of 20 July 1942 and the letters “JR” written in blue pencil on his registration card, it can be deduced that the Jewish Council has putted back his deportation on that date.(a temporarily exempt of deportation). The “Sperre System” with stamps was only introduced in September 1942. (see the publication “Presumably on Transport”, chapter 3). An (actual) reason for Abrahams reset is not known.
However, it could be that this reset may also have had something to do with the position of his sister Berta Helena Wagenaar (as a member of the Wagenaar family), who was appointed by the Jewish Council as Youth Leader in the after-school youth care department at Plantage Parklaan 9. She had no official “Sperre” (exemption) but she did have an I.D. card from the Jewish Council with number JR 2354-youth leader.
Abraham, who had now become a furrier by profession, was eventually arrested together with his mother during the large-scale raid secretly prepared by the Germans on 20 June 1943, and carried off to Westerbork. In Westerbork his mother was housed in barrack 65 and he himself in barrack 62.
Together with his mother, Abraham was sent to the Vught concentration camp on 10 July 1943, from where they were both deported to Auschwitz on 15 November 1943 in a direct transport from Vught. After arrival, a 6-week "quarantine" followed, during which many died of typhoid, dysentery or other diseases. Men who were found suitable were selected for the coal mines of Janina, Jawischowitz and Fürstengrube.
Selections took place again in January 1944 and still a very few women were subsequently put to work in Auschwitz-Birkenau. With regard to the fate of the men, women and children, conclusions were ultimately drawn from post-war investigations by the Red Cross, which were adopted by the Dutch Authorities and on which the municipalities had to draw up death certificates on the instructions of the Ministry of Justice.
This was a conclusion for men who were not sent to the coal mines: All other men belonging to the transport of 15 November 1943, unless individually known otherwise, are considered to have died at Auschwitz-Birkenau, not earlier than 1 January 1944 and no later than 31 January 1944.
For women and children, the conclusion was that all women and children belonging to the transport of 15 November 1943, unless individually known otherwise, are considered to have died in Auschwitz-Birkenau no earlier than 1 January 1944 and no later than 31 January 1944.
See also: More about the transport of 15 November 1943 from Vught to Auschwitz.
Based on the above, the Municipality of Amsterdam drew up a death certificate, in which it was established that Abraham Wagenaar died on 31 January 1944 in the vicinity of Auschwitz.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Alexander Wagenaar, archive card of Abraham Wagenaar. Special Registers/nursed at the Dutch Israëlitic Boys’Orphanage/Lion Mordechai Wagenaar and Abraham Wagenaar; the file cabinet of the Jewish Councile, registration card of Abraham Wagenaar; website ITS Arolson/camp cards Vught for Abraham Wagenaar; website Jodentransporten vanuit Nederland/transport 15 November 1943; the archives of the Red Cross, publication Auscvhwitz IV/deportation transports to Auschwitz in 1943, edited October 1953; death certificate 219 from the A-register 85-folio 38 dated 31 Augustus 1951- made out in Amsterdam for Abraham Wagenaar.