Grietje Blitz was born on 12 February 1902 in Amsterdam as daughter of Salomon Blitz and Anna van Praag. She lived at home with her parents and her famous sister and concert singer Esther (Elly) Blitz at Biesboschstraat 18 parterre in Amsterdam-South, till she got married on 13 March 1929 with Hartog Italiaander, born 13 May 1905 in Amsterdam as son of Mozes Italiaander and Judith Corper. After the wedding, the Italiaanders moved into a house at Kastanjeplein 9 in Amsterdam-East. However, the marriage did not last and on 31 December 1934 the marriage was dissolved by divorce. No children were born out of this wedlock.
Hartog Italiaander married again on 21 June 1935 with Irmgard Hattenbach from Gladbach and who was born there in 1915. They moved into a house then in the Ruyschstraat 90 3rd floor in Amsterdam-East and on 13 January 1936 their son Jakob was born. On 25 May 1943 they were all called for the so-called “Arbeitseinsatz” and they reported at Polderweg, after which they were carried off to Westerbork and ended up in barrack 63. On 1 June they were deported to Sobibor and on arrival there on 4 June 1943, they were immediately killed in the gas chambers there.
Also Grietje Blitz married again: on 18 May 1938 she got married in Amsterdam to the commercial traveller Johan Kinsbergen, who was born in Amsterdam on 10 October 1898 as son of Mozes Kinsbergen and Judith Winnik. Johan lived with his parents in Antwerpen and married there for the first time to the 27-year old non-Jewish Elvira Alexandra Joanna Deneef from there. That marriage did not last either and on 20 April 1932 his marriage was dissolved in Den Haag by divorce. From both weddings, no children were born.
Till 1940, Grietje Blitz lived at Van Woustraat 47 2nd floor in Amsterdam. Johan Kinsbergen arrived already from Borgerhout in Antwep in 1931 in Amsterdam, where he has lived at several addresses. On 25 October 1938 he moved in with Grietje at Van Woustraat and on 7 November 1940 both moved to Biesboschstraat 64 parterre and on 16 June 1941 again a removal followed, now to Sarphatipark 125 upperhouse.
On 23 March 1943 were both carried off to Westerbork. There they had to stay in barrack 60, till they were deported to Sobibor on 30 March. On arrival there on 2 April 1942, Grietje Blitz and her husband Johan Kinsbergen were immediately killed in the gas chambers there.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration card of Salomon Blitz and Hartog Italiaander, archive cards of Grietje Blitz and Johan Kinsbergen; the Dossier of Foreigners of the City of Antwerp nr. 126819-image 49-68; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Grietje Kinsbergen-Blitz, Johan Kinsbergen, Hartog Italiaander, Irmagard Italiaander-Hattenbach and Jakob Italiaander.