Boekman-Van der Horst family. Collection

Identifier
KD_00049
Language of Description
English
Dates
1 Jan 1941 - 31 Dec 1960
Level of Description
Collection
Languages
  • French
Source
EHRI Partner

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Emmanuel Boekman was born in Amsterdam in 1907. In 1909 his parents, Hartog Boekman and Lea Vieyra, decided to move to Antwerp. Emmanuel became a commercial traveler and in 1935 married Bertha (Elisabeth) Van der Horst, born in Antwerp in 1908. Their son, Henri Alexander Boekman, was born in Berchem, Antwerp, in 1938. The family settled in Nijlen. At the beginning of 1942, Emmanuel got involved in illegal resistance activities. He specialised in forgery and created fake IDs, work permits, baptism documents, ration stamps, marriage licenses… by collecting old documents and replacing the stamps with new ones. In November 1942, Emmanuel, his wife and son went into hiding in Laeken, Brussels. While Emmanuel Boekman became Emmanuel Beeckman, Bertha took on the fake name Berthe Humbert. When their hideout was bombed in May 1944, the Boekman-Van der Horst family was forced to move to a new address. In June 1944, while delivering forged papers to Dutch work refusers hiding in Brussels, Emmanuel Boekman was arrested. He did not survive deportation from the Dossin barracks via transport XXVI to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Berthe Van der Horst and their son Henri Alexander Boekman survived the war in hiding. In 1951, Emmanuel Boekman posthumously received the title of civil resistance fighter. Berthe Van der Horst passed away in Antwerp in 1999. Henri Boekman still lives in Antwerp.

Acquisition

[Henri Alexander Boekman, 2014]

Scope and Content

This collection contains : two forged IDs of Berthe (Elisabeth) Van der Horst, issued under her fake name Berthe Humbert ; three statements signed by fellow resistance fighters regarding the activities of Emmanuel Boekman as a forger and a member of the civil resistance ; the official deed recognizing Emmanuel Boekman as a civil resistance fighter in 1951 ; a statement by the municipality of Nijlen, confirming that Henri Alexander Boekman did wear the yellow star.

Accruals

No further accruals are to be expected

Conditions Governing Access

Contact Kazerne Dossin Documentation Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu

Conditions Governing Reproduction

Contact Kazerne Dossin Documentation Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu

Subjects

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.