Henri Johannes Cornelis Assman

Geslacht: Man
Vader: Willem Gerardus Assman
Moeder: Maria Johanna Ferment
Geboren: 16 MEI 1888 Amsterdam
Overleden: 26 OKT 1980
Religie: Ned. Hervormd
Beroep: handelsreiziger
Aantekeningen: Personal Information
Last Name: Assman
First Name: Henri
Johannes
Cornelis
Date of death: 26/10/1980
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Male
Rescue
Place during the war: Leeuwarden, Friesland, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Leeuwarden, Friesland, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/3064)
Commemoration
Date of Recognition: 25/12/1984
Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Wall of Honor
Ceremony organized by Israeli diplomatic delegation in: The Hague, Netherlands
Rescued Persons
Boas
Rescue Story
Assman, John Marius & Jantje van der Wal & Tjietske & Henri Johannes Cornelis & Dijkstra, Janke
Broekhuis-Assman, Ida
In 1942, John and Jantje Assman were residing in Amsterdam. They lived just down the street from a Jewish family, the Boases’, to whom a daughter, Esther Ruth, was born on July 6, 1942. The Assmans understood that the situation of the Jews in Amsterdam was steadily deteriorating and consequently offered assistance to the young Boas family should it become necessary. On May 26, 1943, when the mass searches for Jews were conducted in central Amsterdam, Saloman and Eeraphine Boas turned to the Assmans and asked them to hide their infant daughter. Tjietske Assman immediately went to get baby Esther to take her to the safety of her family home, where she was cared for lovingly. The situation soon worsened though. On June 20, 1943, Esther’s parents were sent to Westerbork while the baby---whose carriage had been identified by a neighbor who was a member of the NSB---was taken to the Hollandsche Schouwburg, from where Jews were deported to Westerbork and the east. At the same time, John Assman was arrested and imprisoned by the Germans, but fortunately for only a few days. Thanks to Walter Süskind, it was arranged for Tjietske to pick up Esther from the crèche across the street from the Hollandsche Schouwburg. From there, Tjietske took the baby by train to her aunt and uncle, Henri and Janke Assman, in Leeuwarden. They introduced Esther as the “illegitimate” child of Ida Assman (later Broekhuis), another daughter of John and Jantje. Meanwhile, in Westerbork, Esther’s parents were informed that if they could track down their child there was a chance they would be relocated to Barneveld. Saloman and Eeraphine succeeded in finding Esther and as a family they were imprisoned in Barneveld, then transferred back to Westerbork, and finally moved to Theresienstadt, from where they were eventually liberated on May 6, 1945. The Assman family played a prominent role in saving Esther’s life and continuously put themselves at great risk without asking for any financial reward whatsoever.
On December 25, 1985, Yad Vashem recognized John Marius Assman, his wife, Jantje Assman-van der Wal, and their daughters, Tjietske Assman and Ida Broekhuis-Assman, and Henri Johannes Cornelis Assman and his wife, Janke Assman-Dijkstra as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Janke Dijkstra geb. 31 MEI 1886 overl. 23 Dec 1970
Huwelijk: 25 OKT 1916 Leeuwarden