![[The former 'Euterpestraat' landmark.]](euterpestraat.jpg)
(Photo taken in autumn 2003.)
When the Germans invaded the Netherlands in May 1940, they took over two school buildings located on the Euterpestraat and set up a number of their departments there. "The Euterpestraat" became synonymous with bad news after that. (See the map for more information. Also, at least three books include a wartime photo of this location: AF:BTD p. 88; HLOF picture #18; LSMOAF.)
The buildings were bombed but this one was apparently repaired (the bomb made a hole starting at the far right large window in this photo, about as wide as the distance between the three large visible windows on the right). After the war, the Dutch renamed the street Gerrit van der Veenstraat, after a Dutch resistance fighter.
4-5 August 1944:
Immediately after their arrest, the eight people who had hid in the
secret annexe, plus two of
their helpers, were
taken in a covered truck to the S.D. headquarters in Amsterdam at this location.
The two helpers were sent on to Amstelveenseweg prison, but
the eight Jewish people
were kept here overnight, and then the sent to Weteringschans prison.
(See after the raid for more information.)
5, 7, 8 August 1944:
The day after the arrest, a Saturday, the sales representatives returned to the office at
Otto's business and learned of the arrests.
One suggested that they collect money to buy the prisoners' freedom. Miep twice arranged
appointments with the Nazi in charge of the raid:
on the seventh and eighth (Monday and Tuesday). This was possibly this building she went to.
If not, it was the building across the street.
She had no luck.
Timing was possibly an issue. Silberbauer could do nothing for her on the seventh and
her appointment
on the eighth was at 9am when her Jewish friends were probably already at Centraal Station,
bound for Westerbork: their train left very early. (The two arrested helpers were still
imprisoned within the city.)
