Project 'Long shadow of Sobibor' Interview 09 Jan Goedel Project 'Late gevolgen van Sobibor'

Jan Goedel was born in Amsterdam but his first recollections are from his hiding in Friesland. Known as Jantje Visser from Rotterdam, he had a good life with the Frisian Osinga family, where he stayed for about three years. In 1946 Jan was transferred to two ladies living in Ede, with whom his youngest brother had been in hiding. From that moment on his name was Jan Baljet. This family took him in rather lovelessly. Only when Jan went to secondary school (MULO) he was told that he was a Jewish boy and that his parents had passed away. The issue was not discussed further. Contacts with his two younger brothers have not been good since. In 1978, by sheer chance, Jan came into touch with his war brothers and his war foster mother. By that time he was on health leave, mainly because his early childhood had never been a subject of discussion - his only aunt having left him just one family picture. Ten years later, when in Yad Vashem, he found that his parents had been killed in Sobibor. Together with his wife, his two children and his grandchildren Jan has managed to build his life, living it according to his motto, "You may fall on your face as many times as you like, as long as you stand up just one time more. And that's what I try to do every time." Dutch keywords / Trefwoorden: Amev, analistencursus, Andrelon, angst, Auke, bombardement, dames Baljet, FPU, Fred, Frieda Baljet, gehandicapt, handicap, HEMA, Het Blauwe Huis, Jan Baljet, Jantje Visser, kattenkwaad, KNIL, koffertje, Koos Posthuma, marktkoopman, MBO, mevrouw Donkelgrün, mevrouw Osinga, Mulo, Organon, piano, Pim, Portugees, RTL, speelgoed, step, Stichting Sociaal Medische Begeleiding, tante Jo, Van Dis, voetballen, WAO, weiland, zeepkist, zegelring