After the war

Upon liberation in May 1945, the priority for the very few Jewish survivors was to find out what had happened to their family and friends and those who did not return. For many, it took several years before they received official confirmation that they had to be assumed dead, that they had probably been murdered at a certain camp or place, on an assumed date. Many distressing stories are documented in the Red Cross War Archive. Hijme and Emilie Stoffels were honoured by the Yad Vashem award in 1968, Wim and Dien van Straten in 1971. So were many others who tried to save people from persecution and murder. The three Germans who were most directly involved with the liquidation of the orphanage served long prison terms after commuted death sentences. The commandant of Westerbork, Gemmeker, came off very lightly; he served less than six years. Of the three Dutch policemen who carried the heaviest responsibility for arresting Jews in Leiden and sending them to their death, Adrianus Biesheuvel served nine years in prison. De Groot was shot dead by the Dutch resistance in 1944. Their boss, Steven van Musscher, escaped to Germany and was never tried.