Vecht Family collection

The banker, Philip Sydney Vecht (1899-1968) along with his wife, Hettie (nee Bienenzucht) and their two children, Romeo and Rosette, escaped the Holocaust by virtue of their British nationality despite being orthodox Jews in occupied Belgium. Philip’s father, Aaron Vecht (1855-1908), born into the Sephardic community in the Netherlands, had been a successful entrepreneur in the meat processing industry. He had lived in Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia- where Philip was born- hence the British citizenship. The family were stranded in Belgium during the Nazi occupation. However, on account of Philip’s ill health, a Belgian doctor recommended that he seek treatment in the famous curative spa town of the same name, Spa, in the province of Liège. The family were under strict orders not to leave the precincts of the town without express permission from the Nazi authorities. Whilst being confined there Philip joined the Belgian resistance, where he was involved in hiding and transporting weapons. The family were eventually liberated by US troops in 1944. Rosette worked for the American Joint Distribution Committee after the war seeking out and repatriating Jews who had lived in hiding in Belgium during the war.

Donated 14.5.2024

Donor: Romeo Vecht