Het Boek von Liesbeth Prins I
Object numberM2005/050:001
TitleHet Boek von Liesbeth Prins I
DescriptionLiesje (Liesbeth) Prins was born in Amsterdam on 25 December 1937 to Suze and Nico Prins. Shortly after, her mother began writing a diary (in Dutch) in an exercise book. By May 1939 she had already filled one book, and began another. The diaries document Liesje’s development from birth until 1942 when the diary abruptly ends. They reveal the depth of a mother’s love and joy at her growing child, and are a window into their family life until their deportation to Westerbork and then to Auschwitz.
Five-year-old Liesje was deported to Auschwitz with her parents; they were gassed immediately upon arrival on 22 October 1943.
The diary is not written ‘about’ Liesje, but more ‘to’ her, as a conversation. Suze records what her baby ate (“With the tomato puree, we are still at odds”), what she weighed (“Your weight is now 4190 gr not too much for a three months old baby. But you are not such a skinny little frog anymore as you were in the beginning”); it describes her personality (“When you are in a good mood you make such nice cooing sounds in your cradle. It almost seems like you are singing”). She documents the first time Liesje rolled from her back to her tummy; her first words spoken at age one and a half, a drawing of a cat at age three.
Golden tufts of hair taped onto pages and close to 100 photographs are further tangible proof of this child’s existence.
Five-year-old Liesje was deported to Auschwitz with her parents; they were gassed immediately upon arrival on 22 October 1943.
The diary is not written ‘about’ Liesje, but more ‘to’ her, as a conversation. Suze records what her baby ate (“With the tomato puree, we are still at odds”), what she weighed (“Your weight is now 4190 gr not too much for a three months old baby. But you are not such a skinny little frog anymore as you were in the beginning”); it describes her personality (“When you are in a good mood you make such nice cooing sounds in your cradle. It almost seems like you are singing”). She documents the first time Liesje rolled from her back to her tummy; her first words spoken at age one and a half, a drawing of a cat at age three.
Golden tufts of hair taped onto pages and close to 100 photographs are further tangible proof of this child’s existence.
Production placeAmsterdam, Netherlands
Production date 1938 - 1939
Object namejournals
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 210.00 mm
height: 160.00 mm
depth: 10.00 mm
Language
- Dutch
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Ms Carla Moore