Jewish Eindhoven - The Holocaust

The Holocaust

In August 1940, a total of 561 Jews were counted in Eindhoven. After the invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940, only 13 Jews from Eindhoven had managed to escape to other countries, notably the United Kingdom. Among them were members of the prominent Elias family. From August 1940 to December 1941, 57 Jews left Eindhoven, but another 134 settled within its borders, bringing the number of Jews to 638 in December 1941. After 1941, another 228 Jews moved to Eindhoven, bringing the Jewish community to a height of 866 persons.

Besides these full-Jews, another 123 half-Jews and 61 quarter-Jews were counted in December 1941.

During the period 1940 - 1945, a total number of 936 Jews had lived at one moment in Eindhoven.

• 332 (35%) died in the destruction- and concentration camps in Central Europe (notably Auschwitz and Sobibor). This is a "low" number considering that 75% of all Dutch Jews died during the Holocaust. 180 Jews died in Auschwitz; 61 in Sobibor. The remaining 91 Jews died in Central Europe or have an unknown place of death.
• 63 Jews who were deported survived the camps, a "high" number when you consider that this number meant that some 16% of deported Jews from Eindhoven survived destruction camps like Auschwitz, whereas nationwide this number was closer to 5% of all deported Jews.
• 455 Jews managed to survive by hiding or leaving the country.
• 65 Jews were part of a mixed marriage (with a non-Jew) and by that escaped deportation and death.
• Another 21 Jews died of natural causes between 1940 and 1945.