The story
of the Barneveld Jews is not a very happy one. While more than 102.000
fellow Jews perished in the extermination camps of Birkenau and
Sobibor, these fortunate ones were singled out for survival. We should
remember that survival was on the mind of everyone, no matter how such
survival was obtained. Some went into hiding while family members were
rounded up for extermination. A few managed to escape from Westerbork
at the expense of dozens who were placed on the next deportation train.
Others, while incarcerated at Westerbork, tried to secure positions of
importance that would guarantee, at least for the time being,
postponement or perhaps even exemption from deportation to the east.
The successful ones were called the Prominent. Then there were those
who managed to survive this most horrible ordeal using their God-given
musical or cabaret talents while others were sent to their death. No
matter what, survival must have been on the minds of everyone. Only the
more fortunate ones were able to find a way out. These were the ones
who through sheer determination managed to survive grueling circum-
stances, unfortunately more than once at the expense of the lives of
fellow Jews.
The movie, Een
Gelukkige Tijd - A Happy Time describes the life of some
seven hundred prominent Dutch Jews during a time when more than 102.000
less fortunate companions perished in the extermination centers of
Auschwitz/Birkenau and Sobibor. The documentary Een Gelukkige
Tijd was produced by Paul Cohen and Oeke Hoogendijk, and
released by NPS distribution: Netherlands Film Museum. Een
Ge- lukkige Tijd was first shown on Dutch TV on Monday 18 May
1998. The movie ironically is labelled by some Geen Gelukkige
Tijd - No Happy Time.
The
documentary follows the relatively unknown story of some seven hundred
prominent Dutch Jews referred to as the Barneveld groep
- Barneveld group. Most survived the Holocaust. The seven hundred
selected ones were interned in a castle near the town of Barneveld in
the province of Gelderland from the end of 1942 toward the beginning of
1943. These Barnevelders were thus called because
when in 1942 most Jews in the Netherlands were hunted down and rounded
up for extermination in Nazi Germany's death camps, these prominent
fellow Jews enjoyed certain protection and even limited freedom while
at castle De Schaffelaar because of status and
because of connection.
The Barneveld
group was indebted to mr. K. J. Frederiks, LL.M. Frederiks
was the Secretary General for Internal Affairs in the Netherlands
before the war and during the Nazi occupation years. He intervened on
behalf of the Barneveld Jews. Frederiks asked Rauter, the Höhere
SS und Polizeiführer - Higher SS and Police Chief,
to guarantee the exemption from deportation for a number of "well
deserving Dutch Jews." The fanatic Jew hater Rauter refused to do so.
Afterwards Frederiks visited Schmidt, the representative for the NSDAP
- Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei
-National Socialist German Labor Party - in the Netherlands. Schmidt
approved the deal. Because of animosity between Rauter and Schmidt,
Frederiks got his wish playing one out against the other.
Frederiks
finally got permission from the Nazi authorities to compose a list of
"deserving Dutch Jews." These, together with their families, were to be
exempted from deportation to concentration or work camps. Or rather, it
was believed these were concentration or work camps. These
aforementioned prominent Dutch Jews included for the most part
scientists, artists, physicians and industrialists, but also others
were added to the list of the prominent. Hundreds others, however, who
sought inclusion in this much sought after list were rejected. We may
never forget that survival must have been foremost upon the minds of
these members of our society. Certain survival techniques may not be
considered ethical solutions by some, but when persecution knocks at
the door, how would we have reacted?
While
fellow Jews were systematically and unceremoniously hauled from their
homes and deported via Westerbork to the death camps, these Jews, known
as the Barnevelders, found refuge in castle De
Schaffelaar. With the exception of a few elderly people all Barnevelders
would survive the war. Albeit, in the end, they too were deported via
Westerbork to Theresienstadt. In Theresienstadt, most received the
status of prominence once again and a few even were released into the
hands of the Red Cross to be transferred to Switzerland. After the war
some, not all, surviving Barnevelders
understandably felt constrained and remained silent about their time
spent in the castle.