Tag Archives: genealogy

CABR files in Hague

The original article first appeared in AVOTAYNU, the International Review of Jewish Genealogy, Vol. XXXV, no. 2, Summer 2019. End May 2018 I made contact, through MyHeritage (which is a very valuable tool for at least first contacts if not … Continue reading

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My grandmother’s embroidery

My mother owns an embroidered painting which her mother created as a young girl and which now hangs in my parents’ living room. The painting shows a landscape: a lake with a tower and a bridge in the background. When … Continue reading

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Belgian Jewish Life in the different Belgian archives

Just as in other countries, Jews also left traces (and still are leaving traces) in Belgium: The oldest trace is a gravestone in the Flemish city Tienen (French: Tirlemont) of a girl who was known as Rebecca, daughter of Mozes. … Continue reading

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Inauguration of a memorial stone in memory of the Jewish forced laborers in quarries in Merlemont

I received an invitation from the village of Philippeville which is in the southern part of Belgium to the inauguration of a monument in the memory of 49 Jews who were put into forced labor in quarries in Merlemont (Merlemont … Continue reading

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When a study can be Upside-Down and sadly wrong

Is it funny or sad if a group of academics make an error which even the unlearned can easily find out as being a serious mistake on the behalf of these academics? Let me explain what I am referring too: … Continue reading

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Getting copies of the alien files

In other articles I have explained a bit about the Antwerp alien files (immigrant files) and about the indexes through which you could find the file number of your relatives alien file (click here for the complete Table of contents). In this article it … Continue reading

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Expulsion Orders from WWII at the FelixArchief – Part 1: An Introduction

Note: Mr. Dratwa (conservator of the Jewish Museum in Belgium) noted that I should’ve translated ‘Uitwijzingsbevel’ to ‘Expulsion Order’ and not ‘Deportation Order’ (which usually is used when someone was deported to concentration camps). I corrected the wording based on … Continue reading

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Justin Gerstner – 5 November 1921, Ebelsbach (Germany) – October 31, 1944, Wolsum (Netherlands)

The following post was already published on my old website. I am now republishing it with some corrections. Justin was born on 5 November 1921 as the son of Salomon Gerstner and Frieda Sundermann in the village of Ebelsbach which … Continue reading

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A history of the Antwerp Archives (FelixArchief) and getting there

History of the archives: The archives of the city of Antwerp started with two charters from 1221 which the city kept in a huge chest which was longer then two meters and which was called the ‘privilegiekom’. Of each lock … Continue reading

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Cantor Kalman Kalich (17 December 1903 in Poland – 25 February 1982 in New York City, NY, USA)

This post replaces an earlier article on Chazzen Kallich elsewere on this site (see: Kalman Kalich (17 December 1903 in Kalich, Poland – 25 February 1982 in New york City, NY, USA)) According to the “Extract from the registry of … Continue reading

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