An onderduiker literally means “under diver” and is somebody who went into hiding. The term was used during World War II to indicate Jews and other people who went into hiding to avoid deportation to the German concentration camps.
The most famous onderduiker was Anne Frank, who went into hiding with her family in the annex of the building where her father’s office was located.
Anne Frank. Credits: Unknown photographer, Anne Frank Foundation, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
About Yvette HoitinkYvette Hoitink, MLitt, CG®, QG™ is a professional genealogist, writer, and lecturer in the Netherlands. She has a Master of Letters in Family and Local History from the University of Dundee, and holds the Certification of Genealogist and Qualified Genealogist credentials. Yvette served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Professional Genealogists and won excellence awards for her articles in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly. Yvette has been doing genealogy for over 30 years. She helps people from across the world find their ancestors from the Netherlands and its former colonies, including New Netherland. Read about Yvette's professional genealogy services.
Yvette Hoitink, MLitt, CG®, QG™ is a professional genealogist, writer, and lecturer from the Netherlands who helps people find their ancestors from the Netherlands and its former colonies, including New Netherland. She has a Master of Letters in Family and Local History from the University of Dundee, and holds the Certified Genealogist and Qualified Genealogist credentials.
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Please read what Yvette can do for you.
This Dutch Genealogy webinar gives you a great introduction to researching your Dutch ancestors. Requires a Legacy FamilyTreeWebinar subscription to watch. [Affiliate link]
Using the AlleFriezen database, I have found onderduiker kaarten from 4 Jewish people who stayed in hiding in my grandfather’s house near Rotsterhaule. They are part of a set from Joure and Sneek in Friesland. Who created and kept these records and for what purpose? Were they created when the Jewish person went into hiding? Or after the war? Were there cards for others besides Jewish people? What does the letter in the upper right corner mean – there are Js on “my” cards, but I also see B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and M.
I realize these are a lot of questions and I’m not sure that it is your responsibility to help me. Can you steer me to someone who would know the answers?