Georges Censer. Collection

Georgius Simon alias Georges Censer was born in Borgerhout, Belgium, on 13 August 1909 as the son of Polish diamond merchant Simche alias Simon Censer and his wife Paulina Mayer who had settled in Belgium in 1903 and 1906 respectively. During the First World War, Georges and his parents fled to Scheveningen in the Netherlands. Georges’ younger brother Samuel Censer was born in The Hague, the Netherlands, on 13 November 1916. In June 1919, the Censer family returned to Belgium and settled at Helenalei 10 in Antwerp, where Georges’ father Simon Censer passed away on 12 January 1924. Georges became a diamond merchant and obtained Belgian nationality. Before the outbreak of the Second World War he married Charlotte Stainfeld, the daughter of Mordka alias Max Stainfeld and Chaja Hella Hillel. Charlotte Stainfeld had been born in Antwerp, Belgium, on 16 January 1912. Georges and Charlotte’s daughter Helene Anna Censer was born in the port city on 17 May 1937. When Nazi-Germany invaded Belgium on 10 May 1940, Georges served in the Belgian army. He thus saw combat during the 18 Days' Campaign, during which he fell into German hands. Georges was held captive as a Prisoner of War (POW) at Stalag Xb in Sandbostel, Germany, only to be released on 5 April 1941. He then returned to Antwerp where he joined his wife Charlotte and daughter Helene Anna in their family home at Isabellalei 3. Georges, his wife and daughter were subsequently forced to obey the anti-Jewish decrees. A week after his return to Antwerp, Georges reported at the town hall to be registered in the municipal Jewish register as was obliged for all Jews in Belgium as of 28 October 1940. In the course of 1941 or early 1942 Georges Censer left Antwerp and was able to clandestinely reach the United Kingdom where he joined the Belgian army in exile. He returned to Antwerp upon the Liberation of Belgium, only to find that his wife Charlotte and his daughter Helene Anna had been arrested and deported from the SS-Sammellager Mecheln (Dossin barracks) to Auschwitz-Birkenau via transport XXIIB on 20 September 1943. Both were killed. In December 1945, Georges was reunited with his mother Paulina Mayer and his brother Samuel Censer. Paula had fled Belgium on 12 May 1940 and had reached Casablanca, Morocco, via Bordeaux in July 1940. Samuel had fled to Limoges, France, in 1940 and had been able to reach Switzerland together with his wife Paula De Winter and their baby in May 1943. After the war, Georges Censer remained in Belgium and continued to work in the diamond industry. He received several medals and awards for his contributions to the Belgian economy and for his efforts during the Second World War.

On 30 May 2024, Katrien Zomers donated the original items in this collection to Kazerne Dossin on behalf of her uncle Henri Zomers. The items were retrieved during the clearance of the home of the widow of Harry Seels, stepson of Geroges Censer. Harry was the brother-in-law of Henri Zomers’ wife.

Katrien and Henri Zomers, 2024