The death certificate, no. 272 dated 1 December 1950, drawn up in Den Helder, shows that following a decision of the District Court of Alkmaar of 2 November 1950, the Civil Registry of Den Helder must be supplemented with a deed showing that at a time between 29 January 1943 and the capitulation of the German army in May 1945, Emanuel van Praag died in or in the vicinity of Auschwitz.
Later investigations by the Red Cross from 1952 and 1953 into the consequences of the deportations and the fate of the deportees showed that of that "spring" transport of 29 January 1943, only two men of this transport of a total of 659 deportees. 28 and 32 years old, have returned.
The summary conclusions of the "spring" transport of 29 January 1943 therefore show, as far as Emanuel van Praag is concerned, that the men belonging to this transport, who had reached the age of 16 upon arrival at Auschwitz (i.e. on 1 February 1943), but were not yet 41 years old, unless individually known otherwise, are considered to have died in the Auschwitz complex no earlier than 1 February 1943 and no later than 30 April 1943.
All other men belonging to this transport are, unless individually known otherwise, deemed to have died in Auschwitz/Birkenau no later than 1 February 1943.
It may be assumed that the actual date of death of Emanuel van Praag lies between 1 February and 30 April 1943, but it is not known exactly when and where that was, and that the District Court of Alkmaar by decision of 2 November 1950, the period between 29 January 1943 and May 1945 has indicated, between which Emanuel van Praag must have died.
However, the Jewish Monument always states the official and legal date of death, as determined by the Ministry of Justice and/or by order of the Court and published in the Official Gazette, as the latest date on which Emanuel van Praag could have died was at the end of the war, at the time of the capitulation of the German army, May 1945.
Sources: the Regional l Alkmaar/Civil Registry Den Helder/death certificate 272 dated 1 December 1950 and certificate no. 8 dated 13 January 1951 and the Archives of the Red Cross, publication “Auschwitz IV” from October 1953/transport 296 January 1943 page 30 sub e and the summary conclusions on pages 64 and 65.