Object numberM2009/095:002
DescriptionBlack and white photograph of children in a youth hostel, The Hague, Holland, 29 March 1939. The names of all the children are written on the reverse, including that of Peter Neumann and his brother Lutz Neumann.
Peter Neumann was born in Vienna on 20 January 1925 to Hilda and Alfred Neumann. He had a brother, Lucian (Lutz). His father was a doctor of law. In 1932 he became unemployed and the family rented out two of the four rooms of their house; his mother cooked and did the laundry. Alfred became a journalist and began writing political articles, which brought him to the Austrian government’s attention. He was arrested and interned in Dachau and then Buchenwald. Desperate to make sure the children were safe, his mother searched for options; she heard about the Quakers who were trying to get children out of Austria. She registered the boys in October/November 1938, and they boarded a train to Holland as part of the Kindertransport.
Peter went to a children’s home in Ockenburg with around 100 other Jewish children. Mrs Boon, in charge of the committee that organised the children coming to Holland, assisted his parents with permits to leave and following Alfred’s release from Buchenwald, Alfred and Hilda arrived in Holland in 1939. Peter and his brother moved to a children’s home in the Hague, Huis ten Vijver (House by the Pond) where they stayed with around 150-200 Jewish children. Helena Moll was in charge of this home.
The time in Dachau and Buchenwald had deeply affected Peter’s father. He became suspicious of other people, and after thinking that Mrs Boon was a spy, he was sent to an insane asylum.
After Germany invaded Holland on 10 May 1940, one of the first measures was that all the Jews from Austria and Germany who had escaped to Holland should be moved away from the coast. Peter’s family was moved at this time, and were taken in by Jewish families in the town of Hengelo. First with the Cohen family and then he was moved to live with the Franken family. During this time, Peter’s mother learned that all the Jews in the asylum where his father was, had been deported to Auschwitz and gassed upon arrival.
Peter Neumann was born in Vienna on 20 January 1925 to Hilda and Alfred Neumann. He had a brother, Lucian (Lutz). His father was a doctor of law. In 1932 he became unemployed and the family rented out two of the four rooms of their house; his mother cooked and did the laundry. Alfred became a journalist and began writing political articles, which brought him to the Austrian government’s attention. He was arrested and interned in Dachau and then Buchenwald. Desperate to make sure the children were safe, his mother searched for options; she heard about the Quakers who were trying to get children out of Austria. She registered the boys in October/November 1938, and they boarded a train to Holland as part of the Kindertransport.
Peter went to a children’s home in Ockenburg with around 100 other Jewish children. Mrs Boon, in charge of the committee that organised the children coming to Holland, assisted his parents with permits to leave and following Alfred’s release from Buchenwald, Alfred and Hilda arrived in Holland in 1939. Peter and his brother moved to a children’s home in the Hague, Huis ten Vijver (House by the Pond) where they stayed with around 150-200 Jewish children. Helena Moll was in charge of this home.
The time in Dachau and Buchenwald had deeply affected Peter’s father. He became suspicious of other people, and after thinking that Mrs Boon was a spy, he was sent to an insane asylum.
After Germany invaded Holland on 10 May 1940, one of the first measures was that all the Jews from Austria and Germany who had escaped to Holland should be moved away from the coast. Peter’s family was moved at this time, and were taken in by Jewish families in the town of Hengelo. First with the Cohen family and then he was moved to live with the Franken family. During this time, Peter’s mother learned that all the Jews in the asylum where his father was, had been deported to Auschwitz and gassed upon arrival.
Production date 1939-03-29 - 1939-03-29
Object namephotographs
Materialpaper
Dimensions
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Masha Neumann