Frederika (Fré) Salomons was the youngest daughter of Simon Salomons and Sprins Wagenaar. She was born in Amsterdam on 28 May 1896. Her father was teacher at the Dutch Israëlitic Rabbinical Seminary in Amsterdam (1855-1927). Her mother (1857-1929) was a sister of Chief Rabbi Wagenaar.
Frederika lived at home with her parents till September 1929, who had moved to the Sint Anthoniebreestraat 60 in April 1928. But after that, Frederika moved regularly to other addresses for herself.
For example, on 10 September 1929, the then 33-year-old Fré found living space at Nieuwe Keizersgracht 39 with David Ailjon's widow. Almost 1 ½ years later she moved to Plantage Muidergracht 83 in February 1931 and was given rooms with Nathan Gobets and in 1933 to Andriezkade 8 with Ms. N. Engelschman who was involved, among other things, in a festive meeting of Benous Jehoedoh, an association of Jewish young ladies.
On 19 February 1935, Frederika moved to the strict ritual “House Engelschman” at Plantage Prinsenlaan 13, which was run by the unmarried Nathalie Engelschman. But three months later she moved into living space again with Nathan Gobets, now at Plantage Kerklaan 35, 1st floor.
After 2 ½ years, on 2 December 1937, she was registered at the address Plantage Parklaan 9-B at Levie’s. And what would become her last known address in the Netherlands became Nieuwe Keizersgracht 61 1st floor, on 4 February 1938, where she found a place to live with Bernard Klein.
Frederika Salomons worked as an accountant and remained unmarried. She was musical and went to concerts in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. She had two sisters, Esther and Nannie and four brothers, Alexander, Machiel, Leon, and a brother Abraham who survived the war. Leon died young.
From notes and stamps on her registration card from the Jewish Council, it can be deduced that Frederika was granted a deferral of deportation/Arbeitseinsatz on 1 August 1942. (a temporary deferment). However, on 5 September 1942 she was yet arrested and carried off to Westerbork. Two days later, on 7 September 1942, deportation to Auschwitz followed with 929 other victims.
This transport was a so-called “Coseltransport”, where at a stopover in Cosel, located about 80 km west of Auschwitz, 110 boys and men between the ages of 15 and 50, who were considered suitable for “labor”, were forced to leave the train, to be used as forced laborers in the surrounding labor camps in Upper Silesia.
Those who remained on the train and were transported onwards to Auschwitz, were usually murdered immediately in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau upon arrival. Post-war research by the Red Cross, (which was published in October 1952 through the publication “Auschwitz part III – the Cosel period”), has made it clear what the fate was of the 110 boys and men and how the other victims lost their lives.
Therefore it appears from the aforementioned study, chapter II, page 8, paragraphs 1, 2 and 3, that the "men fit for work" who were forcedly taken from the train in Cosel, in general were in the age group from ± 15 to 50 years, in some individual cases even slightly older.
Those who remained on the train to be sent to Auschwitz were therefore, broadly speaking, the elderly, weak or sickly men and the women and children. In general it can be said that the latter groups were killed by gassing immediately upon arrival at Auschwitz.
This was the fate of the 46-year old Frederika Salomons. Upon arrival on 10 September 1942 in Auschwitz, she has been immediately murdered in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau, together with the many others who in Cosel remained in the train.
Sources include the City Archives of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Simon Salomons (1855) and Frederika Salomons; archive card of Frederika Salomons; Amsterdam residence cards/Salomons/Plantage Parklaan 98-Plantage Muidergracht 83-Plantage Kerklaan 35 and Nieuwe Keizersgracht 39; website Joods Amsterdam/streets; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration card of Frederika Salomons; the archives of the Red Cross – publication Auschwitz III, edited October 1952/chapter II-page 8-par. 1, 2 and 3; Wikipedia website Jodentransporten uit Nederland.nl; the death certificate no.313 from the A-register 76-folio54 dated 22 May 1951, made out in Amsterdam for Frederika Salomons and an addition of a visitor of the website.