us-005578-irn513021-irn605150
type: RecordSet
physical characterisitics and technical requirements: Rectangular, hand knitted wool yarn wall hanging with a scalloped bottom with 8 inch long, thick, dark brown, twisted fringe. Across the front are 3 large, ornate, floral and foliage designs separated by 2 smaller floral and leaf groups in blue, brown, green, yellow, orange, and white, on a light brown background. Along the upper edge is a panel of alternating green and yellow stylized leaves on an orange background, with a dark brown border. Thirty-three, large wooden rings are attached to the upper edge with bronze colored metal hooks. The hanging was constructed on thick string netting and is sewn to brown cloth backing. One ring is detached.
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
date: 1946 August-1950
has beginning date: 1938-01-01
has end date: 1939-12-31
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 1
has or had identifier: 4
has or had identifier: 3
has or had identifier: 2
has or had identifier: 5
has record set type: Item
history: Sophia Swaab was born on June 10, 1900, in Utrecht, Netherlands, to Meijer and Heintje van Leeuwen Swaab. Sophia had six siblings: Leentje (Lea), born April 6, 1896, Philip, born September 12, 1898, Esther, born circa 1900, Nathan, born October 18, 1901, Mietje (Miriam), born December 4, 1909, and Jozef, born circa 1910. Sophia’s father Meijer was born circa 1877 in Utrecht, to Joseph (b. 1838) and Leentje de Groote (b. 1853) Swaab. Sophia’s mother Heintje was born circa 1878 in Zwolle, to Philip and Esther de Groot van Leeuwen. Meijer and Heintje married on December 22, 1897. Meijer was a greengrocer and sold fruits and vegetables. They also owned a shop that sold late night snacks. Sophia managed the snack shop until she married her childhood friend Meijer de Groot in 1922. Meijer was born on October 9, 1897, in Utrecht. Meijer had five siblings: Israel, Salomon, Izak, Mozes, and Julia. Meijer’s father died when he was very young, so he was raised by his mother, Rachel Bloemendaal de Groot. Meijer and Sophia moved to Amersfoort and had two children: Rachel (Chelly), born August 8, 1927, and Levie (Louis), born June 28, 1929. Sophia’s brother Jozef died on April 28, 1930. In 1932, Sophia and her family moved to Arnhem. Meijer owned a hardware and electrical appliance store. They were comfortable but not wealthy. They attended synagogue weekly and observed every holiday. Sophia’s father Meijer died on August 29, 1934. Her brother Nathan died on October 18, 1935, and her mother Heintje died on December 10. Meijer and Sophia were involved with the Jewish Refugee Committee and assisted Jews fleeing from Germany. After the Kristallnacht pogrom occurred in Germany and Austria in November 1938, they took in an Austrian Jewish Kindertransport refugee, Eva Haller. On May 10, 1940, Germany invaded the Netherlands. Meijer found a taxi driver who was willing to take them to a port city in the west so they could go to England. They could not get out because the Dutch army had f…
history: The wall hanging was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2015 by Louis de Groot, the son of Sophia Swaab de Groot.
identifier: irn605150
is or was included in: us-005578-irn513021
record resource extent: overall: Height: 36.875 inches (93.663 cm) | Width: 74.500 inches (189.23 cm)
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: Floral patterned, fringed wall hanging created by Sophia Swaab de Groot in 1938 or 1939 in Arnhem, Netherlands, and recovered by her son Louis after the war. Sophia made the wall hanging to protect the wall behind the living room couch. She worked on it for hours over several nights and used a paper pattern to create it. Germany occupied the Netherlands in May 1940 and implemented anti-Jewish restrictions. In July 1942, the Germans began mass deportations. On November 16, 1942, Chelly, 15, Louis, 13, and their parents Meijer and Sophia left Arnhem and went into hiding. Meijer and Sophia hid in Amsterdam while Chelly and Louis moved around to different locations. In summer/fall 1943, Chelly went to Amsterdam to live with her parents. In December, Louis was sent to Lemmer to live with the Onderweegs family. In February 1944, Dirk Onderweegs visited and offered to take Chelly to a safer hiding place. On April 8, 1944, four days before Dirk was to return, Chelly and her parents were denounced and arrested. They were sent to Westerbork transit camp, then to Auschwitz where Chelly and Sophia were killed upon arrival on May 22, 1944. Meijer was selected for a work detail and was killed on September 30, 1944. Louis remained in hiding with Onderweegs until liberation in mid-April 1945.
title: Hand knitted floral wall hanging made prewar by a Dutch Jewish woman