Elizabeth Frank, born 28 May 1917 in Amsterdam, was the eldest daughter of Nathan Frank and Vrouwtje Pront. She had a 4-year younger sister Mietje, who was married in April 1942 to Simon de Vries. She herself married 2 August 1939 in Amsterdam Hartog Prins, who was born 13 December 1915 as son of Rafaël Prins and Mietje Pront.
After her wedding, Elizabeth just remained living at her parental home at Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 12 1st storey in the old citycentre of Amsterdam and Hartog, who lived with his parents till his marriage at Jodenbreestraat 45 3rd floor, came living in with the Frank family then. Hartog was a hairdresser and Elizabeth a seamstress.
Hartog Prins was arrested during the round-ups of 22 and 23 February 1941 in Amsterdam. Before he was deported, he was interned with the other men in Camp Schoorl. From there a first group of about 390 persons, were sent to concentration camp Buchenwald. In three months of time, forty-seven of them were killed there. The others were put on transport on 22 May 1941 to Mauthausen, among them also Hartog Prins, who was killed there on 18 September 1941.
Under the guise of “Arbeitseinsatz in Germany” half July 1942 the deportations from Westerbork to Auschwitz started. People were called to report in Westerbork, but one could also voluntarily report for the Arbeitseinsatz in Westerbork. On Elizabeth’s registration card no notes were made which could make it clear whether she has responded to such a call or not. Clear is however that Elizabeth was already deported with the 3rd transport from Westerbork to Auschwitz on 21 July 1942.
The transport of 21 July consisted of 931 deportees and arrived usually after three days in Auschwitz. On arrival there, Elizabeth was presumably deployed as forced laborer, most likely under miserable circumstances. It is not exactly known when Elizabeth there lost her life. Therefore, after the war the Ministry of Justice ordered the Municipality of Amsterdam to draw up a certificate of death for Elizabeth Prins-Frank, in which was established that she has lost her life in Auschwitz on 30 September 1942.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, archive cards of Elizabeth Frank and Hartog Prins; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Elizabeth Frank and Hartog Prins; Wikipedia website jodentransporten vanuit Nederland.nl; certificates of death for Elizabeth Frank and Hartog Prins, made out in Amsterdam, A-reg.53-fol.5v – cert.nr. 24 dated 20 July 1950 and A-reg. 29-fol.51 – cert. nr. 294 dated 19 April 1950; websites Mauthausen and NIOD website first deportations (Dutch language).