Martha and George (August) Rosenberg were German Jews who emigrated to Amsterdam, Holland, in January, 1938, with their two sons, Alexander and Walter. They were deported to Westerbork in 1943, and from there to Bergen-Belsen. At Bergen-Belsen, they were housed in the Sternlager, which consisted of Jews who were designated for exchange (very few were in fact exchanged). In the beginning of April, 1945, it was clear to the Germans that the camp would soon be liberated. They decided to transport the remaining Sternlager prisoners to Theresienstadt. Three trains were used for this purpose. The Rosenbergs, along with about 2,500 other prisoners, were on the third train which departed on April 9, 1945. For two weeks, these prisoners were confined to the train as it attempted to move east. As can be imagined, the conditions were beyond description. The trip came to an end on April 23, 1945, at the village of Troebitz in eastern Germany, where the train was liberated by the Russians. There were fewer than 2,000 survivors of this trip. After some time in Troebitz, they were transported by truck to Leipzig, Germany, and from there to Holland by train. Below are various documents pertaining to the saga of the Rosenbergs.
Westerbork-- Below are thumbnails of the front and inside of work cards issued to George and Martha Rosenberg by the Westerbork camp dated October 4, 1943. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Westerbork" in the left frame to return.
Bergen-Belsen-- Below is a thumbnail of a Bergen-Belsen ID card issued to Martha Rosenberg on June 27, 1944. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Bergen-Belsen" in the left frame to return.
Russian Liberation-- Below are thumbnails of the front and back of an ID card issued on May 12, 1945, to George Rosenberg as a liberated train passenger. The card is written in Russian on an old index card and bears the seal of "Stadt Kirchain N.L. Spinnstoffe and Schuhwaren" (identifying local industries: textiles and shoes). Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Russian Liberation" in the left frame to return.
Troebitz-- Below are thumbnails of an official certification by the Mayor of Troebitz dated June 14, 1945. This document attests to the recent liberation of the Rosenbergs as part of the German train transport arriving in Troebitz. The declaration was prepared by a Dutch attorney, also recently liberated, and Josef Weiss, a former "Judenaeltester" of Bergin-Belsen (member of the Bergin-Belsen Judenrat). Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Troebitz" in the left frame to return.
Maastricht, Holland-- By July, 1945, the Rosenbergs had been repatriated to Holland. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of five documents pertaining to their arrival at the Maastricht reception center. The first two are the Allied Expeditionary D.P. Index cards issued to George and Martha. The final three documents are A.E.F. D.P. Registration Records, dated July 2, 1945, pertaining to August, Martha and Alex Rosenberg. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Maastricht" in the left frame to return.
Amsterdam, Holland-- Below are thumbnails of the front and back of Reparation Identification Cards issued in Amsterdam to George and Martha on July 14, 1945. These documents are in Dutch and contain registration cancels from various agencies. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Amsterdam" in the left frame to return.
Joseph A. Pollack, The Lost Transport, Commentary Magazine, September, 1995
Holocaust
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Copyright © 2006 Edward Victor