Hijman Swart was the third child of Jesaja Swart and Saartje Levitus. He was born at 189 Valkenburgerstraat in Amsterdam. After completing the Jewish school on the Valkenburgerstraat, he became a basket maker.
Hijman Swart married Johanna Blog, daughter of the diamond cleaver Samuel Blog and Marianne Diamant, on 21 January 1942. Johanna Blog was the widow of Josephus Zeeman. She had three children from her first marriage, who all carry the last name Zeeman: Samuel, Marianna Greta and Sara. Hijman Swart and Johanna Blog had two children: Jesaja and Esther Margaretha. The family lived at 27 Raamgracht in Amsterdam. The youngest child, Esther Margaretha, was born at Camp Westerbork.
All family members were deported to Auschwitz from Westerbork on 25 January 1944. Hijman was selected for forced labour. As the Russian troops advanced, he was taken along on the death march to Mauthausen, where he was assigned to forced labour in the village of Melk.
Photocopies remain of the birth certificates of Hijman Swart, Johanna Blog, Samuel Zeeman, Marianna Greta Zeeman, Sara Zeeman, Jesaja Swart and Esther Margaretha Swart; there is also a photocopy of a letter dated 18 March 1942 written by Hijman Swart from a labour camp to his parents, brothers and sisters.
Joods Historisch Museum, Documentenverzameling, inv.nr 10289, ordner 6
Biography