Route of Commemorative Plaques
24. Soembastraat 8
This was the home of ADOLPH KAMP – Murdered in Bergen-Belsen on 01/01/1945
Adolph Kamp was born on 2 April 1865 to Alexander Kamp and Johanna Hausmann. He grew up in tolerant Krefeld, where his family had lived and worked for years. The Kamp family was a successful and respected entrepreneurial family. They ran a wholesaler in butchery supplies and were suppliers of drive belts for silk-weaving machines.
On 18 December 1893, Adolph married 23-year old Henriette Kaufmann and they had two children, Friedrich (known as Fritz) on 8 July 1895 and Else on 5 June 1899. They lived at Deutscher Ring 45.
Photo by Elany Koopman ROC
Fleeing the Netherlands
Although the life of the Jews came under increasing threat in the 1930’s, Adolph maintained a belief that it would not happen in Krefeld. ‘Everywhere else, but not in Krefeld’, he insisted. However, the reality dawned and during Kristallnacht in 1938 400 Jews were murdered in Germany. A mass migration of Jews followed and they had to leave behind everything they owned. Fritz and Inge decided to move to the Netherlands with children Rolf and Nico. As a result of fleeing Germany, they all became stateless.
From address to address
A restless and uncertain period followed in the Netherlands. Adolph and Henriette first registered in Dinxperlo, then Amersfoort and, in 1942, the personal card of Adolph indicated Stadionkade 148hs in Amsterdam, even though Adolph and Henriette had never lived at this last address. n Amersfoort, they lived at Soembastraat 8 from 11 November 1939 to 30 April 1942. Fritz and Inge and their sons Rolf and Nico lived nearby, in Voltastraat 55. In 1942 they stayed with Fritz and Inge at Voltastraat for a few months but had to go into hiding in July.
Fate took its course
On 9 June 1944, fate caught up with Adolph. Together with Henrietta, he was deported to Westerbork. Just three weeks later, on 31 July 1944, he was deported on transport number 99 to Bergen-Belsen, where he was murdered on 1 January 1945.
With thanks to the family for sharing their family history and providing photos.
