Assembly point Schouwburg

The fifth razzia was a complete surprise. It was seven-o’clock in the evening. Annie had gone to the neighbors and we were expecting her back at any minute. I remember that night was bitterly cold. This time there was no knocking at the door. Five of them broke the door down and shouted “Where is Margot Cohen?” Papa “Is” started arguing with them, but they only laughed and smote him to the ground. Then a soldier shoved me down the stairs. On this night when I was taken from my foster-parents I was the most frightened I had ever been in my life. It was cold and I shivered. We were put up in big cattle trucks, and my bundle was tossed in after me.

First we were taken to the assemby point for the deportation - the municipal theater building the Schouwburg. We were all taken to a big room without furniture, only filled by lots and lots of people. After a short period of time the separations began. The names of the children up to the age of 12 were called out and they were separeted from their parents. The soldiers pushed the children away from their parents into another room. I was glad that my parents where not present and had to suffer like the other parents did.Then we were taken to a nursery on the other side of the street (1). Somtimes there are days when I can still hear the screaming of the parents and the children in my ears.

When we arrived at the nursery, I felt that I had to go to the toilet badly. I went up to an SS-officer and asked him wether I could to a bathroom (2). As I asked in Dutch, I had forgotten how to speak German, he didn´t understand me and go angry because I bothered him. He hit me with the butt of his rifle on my forhead and the blood was running down over my eye. I was so shocked that I didn´t feel any pain in the beginning. But when I realised that I was hurt, I started crying and tryed to stop the bleeding of the deep wound with my scarf. Later the soldier came back and understood that I had to go to the bathroom. He pushed me towards the stalls. When I tried to close the door, he pushed it open again and then laughed...(3)

Schouwburg in Amsterdam

Before beeing taken to the transition camp Westerbork, Jews from Amsterdam
were taken to the Schouwburg for a few days
 (B1)

• (1) After October 1942 children were seperated from their parents and taken to a nursery on the other side of the street, because the Schouwburg was crowded with people. At sometime there were more then 1300 people in this small theater with 2 mens and 3 women´s toilets. It was hot, smelly and oppressive. http://www.hollandscheschouwburg.nl/en/history/deportation-centre/the-hollandsche-schouwburg
• (2) The Schouwburg was guarded by SS-troops and members of the dutch Nazi party the NSB
  http://www.hollandscheschouwburg.nl/en/history/deportation-centre/the-hollandsche-schouwburg
• (3) Prisoners were not allowed to speak to the prison guards. If they had questions, they were supposed to ask members of the jewish council http://www.hollandscheschouwburg.nl/en/history/deportation-centre/the-hollandsche-schouwburg