Project 'Long shadow of Sobibor' Interview 01 Louis van Velzen Project 'Late gevolgen van Sobibor'

Louis lived with his father and mother, his little brother, and a sister of his grandfather who kept house in Jodenbreestraat in Amsterdam. His father and grandfather sold carpets, his mother paintings, mainly in Monnickendam and Volendam. Louis has many recollections of Jewish life in his neighbourhood. He lived in hiding at several addresses. Because of his circumcision Louis found he looked different from other boys and tried to find ways of reversing it. He then had to spend six months in a hospital that also treated German troops. His father soon arrived in Westerbork, and at first was treated well there. His mother wanted to be with her husband and in the end both were deported to Sobibor together. After the war Louis was taken away from a nice foster family and taken in by people who didn't really care about him. Louis asked his legal guardian to be placed in a Jewish boy's orphanage. In later years he became so disillusioned that he left for Australia for a while. Back in the Netherlands he found work in the Jewish funeral business. He had a stone placed at the Sobibor memorial site for his parents, who never had a proper funeral. Louis van Velzen lives with Lies. Dutch keywords: Begrafeniswezen, Joods Maatschappelijk Werk, Joop, Kleermakerij, KNSM, Lies, Louis van Velzen, manisch-depressief, margarinefabriek, Marietje Steinmetz, Pimentel, Sinai Centrum, Stichting Vogelenzang, tandartsassistente, Tavene en De Lange, Thau, Theodor Lessing, Viool, Vioolles, Wijnand Fockink, Willem Geels, zeepfabriek