Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

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Miriam Troostwyk - May 28, 1998 and June 3, 1999

Yeah.

So here is an uh, airfield and a, a military uh, air base. It's called Soesterberg. It's very near to Amersfoort. It's not on it, but it is a military ba...base. It's between Soes...and between Amersfoort. And the people lived not far from there. They lived in Den Dolder that is between Bilthoven and here somewhere. And he worked on the military base for the Germans. And they lived in a nice little house. I don't know how they got the address from the people. And they came over to our house in, in the evening. And they said, "We will hide you. And it will cost you that and that, when--every week. And we have a beautiful little house. And you will live upstairs."

What's their name?

I don't know. "And, and you'll be very uh, happy there. And there is a possibility that there is a little plane who can bring you to England for money." Well, that was ridiculous, because nobody could get with a little plane from the uh, um, German air base. So I was listening. And that time I was alert and I was quite smart for my age and very alert.

Now, tell, tell me where this is in relation to the teacher who came to your house to warn you that the papers were false.

Yeah, that was later, it was later.

It happened later. Okay, so meanwhile, you're already thinking about leaving, um...

Yes...

Amersfoort.

because the, the backpack was--that I always see it...

Yeah.

it was uh, uh, uh, a beige linen or something.

Yeah.

And it was long and, and, and small, an ugly thing and it was stuffed with all the things for everybody.

Okay.

And this was for Miriam and this was for Paula and this was for Zilpa and this was for, for uh, Hermann. And I couldn't look it. I hated it! So I said uh, so that other family--so I said, "I don't want it and I want to go hiding." And Edith was already hiding. And my father was dead. And he was working with that stamp. And then the family...