Alexander van der Woude and Elsiene Helena Kropveld had three children: Louis Hein (also called Loek), Henriette Frederika (also called Jetje) and a child that has died young. The family lived in Wageningen, but was no member of a Jewish community. They were registered at the local government as ‘without church membership’.
Alexander van der Woude teached German on the secondary modern school in Wageningen. He was known as a cheerful person. His children went to the Pieckschool.
In November 1940 Alexander van der Woude was discharged because he was a Jew. Almost a year later, in August 1941, Loek and Jetje were not allowed anymore to go to school. Because the Jewish school in Arnhem was too far away, the parents themself teached their children. Every morning Jetje left home saying to her mother: “Bye bye mam!” And shortly afterwards she came back and said: “Goodmorning miss!”
The Van der Woude family has lived on several hiding places. First they stayed with friends in Wageningen, then in Zeist and later in Utrecht. In Utrecht the four of them were on a garret not far from the railway station. They had brought their posessions to neighbours here and there. On a certain day when they wanted to have a preserving jar with food out of their house, it showed up to be empty.
On Jetje's birthday the family was arrested, probably because of betrayal. Friends have tried to buy them off, but they failed. All familymembers were brought to Westerbork and from there they were deported.
The empty house on the Ericalaan was claimed by the German occupying forces to put in the NSB mayor. During the bombardment of Wageningen in September 1944 the house was not damaged.
Addition of a visitor of the website
In addition, a Jokos file (number 54367) on this household is at the Amsterdam Municipal Archive. Access is subject to authorization from the Stichting Joods Maatschappelijk Werk.The Jokos file reveals that a claim was lodged for compensation for valuables surrendered to the Lippmann-Rosenthal looting bank (L-claim, number 13296/15667).