Jacob Cohen de Heer, born 1912 in Rotterdam, was a son of Jacob Cohen de Heer from Dordrecht and Alida Betsi van Witsen. 6 April 1938 he married Sientje van der Sluijs in Rotterdam, a daughter of Marcus van de Sluijs and Schoontje van der Sluis. 6 March 1939 the couple had a son, who was named Jacob too.
Jacob Cohen de Heer was an office- and bank clerk. In 1932 he lived for half a year with his grandfather Salomon van Witsen at Zeist, but per 28 December 1932 he was registered again in the Civil Registry of Rotterdam at the address of his father at Vijverhofstraat 33b. After having lived in for some time at the address Hofdijk 42a, Jacob and his bride moved 6 April 1938 to their new home at Woelwijkstraat 6b, where also their son Jacob was born in 1939. Jacob Cohen de Heer was active then as merchant.
Jacob had two unmarried sisters, Grietje Rosa and Rosetta, who worked as shopgirl and servant maid. They lived at home with their father at Vijverhofstraat 33b but when he moved in 1941 to Insulindestraat 24b, both sisters came living in with their brother and family at Woelwijkstraat 6b in Rotterdam.
All inhabitants of Woelwijkstraat 6b, namely Jacob, his wife Sientje and son Jacob and both his sisters Grietje Rosa and Rosetta were deported to Camp Westerbork 31 July 1942 and put on transport to Auschwitz 3 August 1942. Upon arrival there 5 August, Jacob’s wife Sientje and his son Jacob were immediately killed. Jacob himself as well his sisters Grietje Rosa and Rosetta were forced to hard labor before they were killed. Their official date of death in Auschwitz has been established as 30 September 1942.
City Archive of Rotterdam, family registration cards of Jacob Cohen de Heer (1877) and Jacob Cohen de Heer (1912); website www.wiewaswie.nl, marriage Jacob Cohen de Heer and Sientje van de Sluijs and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Jacob Cohen de Heer, Sientje van der Sluijs, Jacob Cohen de Heer jr, Grietje Rosa Cohen de Heer and Rosetta Cohen de Heer and an addition of a visitor of the website.