Kazerne Dossin Research Centre
30 digitised images (1 postcard, 2 enlistment forms, 2 envelopes, 6 letters, 1 payroll, 2 certificates, 1 newspaper clipping, 1 notice and 1 testimonial)
Contact Kazerne Dossin Research Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu
Jacques Zussmann was born on 17 December 1906 in Paris, the son of diamond merchant/goldsmith David Zussmann, born on 19 February 1880 in Berdychiv (Ukraine), and jeweller Adèle Lapidus, born on 28 May 1883 in Warsaw (Poland). David and Adèle married in the 9th arrondissement of Paris on 31 July 1906. Jacques also had a brother, Robert Zussmann, born on 18 December 1911 in Paris. The family initially lived in Paris at No 18 rue Cadet. They spent briefly between 1909 and 1910 in Antwerp for business purposes, but did not settle permanently in Antwerp, at Vestingstraat 61, until 10 August 1921. Jacques worked as a diamond worker and Robert eventually went to work as a clerk for the firm Van Meerbeek & Co. Sadly, father David Zussmann died on 13 March 1930. On 1 June 1942, Jacques Zussmann, unmarried, started working as a radio technician at Kentone Radio at Vleminckveld 6 in Antwerp, employed by Albert Kennis. He specialised as a loudspeaker repairer (sound technician). Meanwhile, Jacques was also exempted from the Arbeitseinsatzbefehl for forced labour because of his dependent ailing mother and because several electro-radio establishments passed him off as indispensable to the smooth running of his branch of the radio department. At Kentone Radio, Jacques Zussmann worked six hours a day until 5 September 1942. What happened in the following days is unknown, but on 26 September 1942, Jacques Zussmann, together with his mother Adèle Lapidus, was registered at the Dossin Barracks and interned here, respectively as Nrs. 137 and 138. Here they awaited their deportation to Auschwitz, which took place on 10 October 1942 with Transport XII. At the beginning of this journey, Jacques still managed to throw a postcard from the train, addressed to Albert Kennis. There is no further trace of either Jacques Zussmann or his mother. They were murdered in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Jacques' unmarried brother, Robert, lived with them at 61 Vestingstraat. In the summer of 1942, Robert was called up for forced labour in northern France for Organisation Todt, where he had to work in construction for the Atlantic Wall. He was taken from Antwerp Central with other Jewish men to the camps of Boulogne-Sur-Mer and Isques on 14 August. There he performed forced labour under the firm Ph.Holzmann and also under Leonhard Hanbuch &Sohne. Collecting Jews at the Mechelen transit camp became increasingly difficult for the Germans by the autumn. Individual arrests were not enough. Nevertheless, the Sipo-SD managed to gather 1,936 deportees for Transport XVI - XVII by calling on the forced labourers of Organisation Todt. 1,315 men were gathered at Muizen station, where the train was further populated with Jews from the Dossin Barracks. On 29 October 1942, Robert was selected for this and subsequently taken to Muizen, after which, on 31 October 1942, this Transport XVII left for Auschwitz-Birkenau. Robert was selected for forced labour at Auschwitz and was assigned and tattooed the number 72932, but eventually perished under unknown circumstances and date and did not survive the Holocaust. His name was recorded in the records of the Häftlingskrankenbau (hospital) Auschwitz I - Block 20 and that of the Leichenhalle (mortuary).
The collection comprises various documents primarily related to the professional activities and wartime experiences of individuals and businesses during World War II in the Belgian occupation period. The items in this collection shed light on the complex interplay between work, coercion, and survival during this tumultuous period. Of particular significance is a postcard written by Jacques Zussman on October 10, 1942, addressed to his employer Albert Kennis. This poignant artifact was composed by Zussman while en route to Auschwitz aboard Transport XII from the Dossin Barracks. Additionally, the collection contains recruitment documents from Kentone Radio, including enlistment forms for Louis Joosen and Josef Van Haelst dated 1943. These records provide insight into the staffing practices of a radio technology company operating during the war years. Correspondence from various authorities, such as the Deutsche Arbeitseinsatzdienststelle and the Reichskommissar for the occupied territories in Belgium and Northern France, illustrates the pervasive influence of German occupational authorities on Belgian businesses. Of note is a letter from the Sameninkoopmaatschappij MEGA expressing concerns about personnel shortages at Kentone Radio and proposing collaborative solutions to mitigate repair delays, dated July 13, 1942. Moreover, the collection includes official communications regarding labor conscription, tax matters, and regulatory compliance. Documents such as a certificate permitting Rosa Diels to possess and operate a radio set, dated April 11, 1944, and a newspaper clipping announcing the mandatory surrender of radios in Antwerp municipality on April 15, 1944, offer insights into civilian restrictions and government policies during the occupation. A certificate of discharge for prisoner of war Albert Kennis, dated July 19, 1940, outlines conditions for his release and subsequent obligations. Additionally, a report on Jacques Zussman's income tax for the year 1942 and Kentone Radio's tax declaration for the same year provide glimpses into financial matters during wartime. Finally, a testimonial signed by various electro-radio firms of the Antwerp agglomeration attests to the indispensable expertise of Jacques Zussman in maintaining the efficiency of the radio repair department, dated June 20, 1942.
No further accruals are to be expected
In 2024, Irène Seany Geuns kindly permitted Kazerne Dossin to digitise and archive 1 postcard, 2 enlistment forms, 2 envelopes, 6 letters, 1 payroll, 2 certificates, 1 newspaper clipping, 1 notice and 1 testimonial in this collection.
Kentone Radio company and Jewish employee Jacques Zussmann. Collection