Adherence to faith

Pocket size Siddur (prayer book), well used, patched with a piece of cloth and sticky tape. This prayer book belonged to Marcel Klein. He kept it with him throughout his incarceration in Auschwitz III (Blechhammer). It is an example of adherence to faith even in the most horrible conditions of the concentration camp.

Marcel Klein was born on 7 February 1919 in Amsterdam. His father Bernard was an antiques dealer and his mother Dientje worked for a textiles factory. Marcel was an only child. After completing high school he became a butcher. As his family owned a large house, they often took in German Jewish refugees between 1933 and 1940. Marcel owned a butchers shop and continued working during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam until he was ordered to present himself on 31 March 1942. He was then transported to Landweer and later to Westerbork, Annaberg, Ottmuth and finally Blechhammer where he remained until the camp was liberated by the Russians on 26 January 1945.

Throughout his time in the camps he managed to keep his prayer book with him. He returned to Amsterdam after liberation, and married his wife Cato on 12 December 1945. They remained in Amsterdam where they had two daughters, Ina-Maud and Renee, before migrating to Australia in 1949 with the prayer book.