Betje Drukker

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Betje Drukker was murdered at Auschwitz in 1942, aged 58. Betje (nee Schouten) Drukker (1884-1942) was a homemaker with seven children.


On May 10, 1940 German forces invaded The Netherlands, and on May 15, Dutch forces surrendered. By January 1941 restrictions were placed on the Jewish population. Jews had to register with the municipality, and in May 1941 the Drukker family were issued ID cards which were stamped with a "J." A year later, they were required to wear a yellow star on their clothing.

On July 30, 1942, the Drukker siblings received an order stating that all Jews aged 16-40 were to report to be sent to the east for forced labor. Betje’s son-in-law tried to convince the Drukker family to go into hiding, but they believed that if they were caught they would be sent to a certain death in Mauthausen. The Drukker siblings reported to the assembly point, and were sent to Westerbork. When the parents learned where their children had been sent, they decided to join them there, and on August 12 they arrived at Westerbork. Some of the siblings had already been sent to Auschwitz on August 3, and the rest of the family was deported on August 14. All were killed on September 30, with the exception of Betje, who is thought to have died on August 16 during the train trip. Only one of her children, a daughter, Flora, survived.

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