THE 20 CHILDREN

Eduard and Alexander Hornemann

Eduard, the elder of the two Hornemann brothers, was born on 1 January, 1933. He was known as Edo in the family. Alexander was born on 31 May 1936 and was nicknamed Lexje. The family came from Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

The father, Philip Carel Hornemann, worked for Philips. After the occupation of the Netherlands by German forces, he and another 100 Jewish colleagues were deployed into a special department of the company. His wife Elisabeth hid on a farm with their son Alexander, whilst Eduard was taken in on another farm. When the Jewish employees of Philips were taken to Vught Concentration camp, Elisabeth Hornemann followed her husband with her two sons. The family was deported to Auschwitz Concentration camp from Vught on 3 June 1944. Elisabeth Hornemann died three months later in September 1944 of abdominal typhus. Eduard and Alexander were moved to the children’s barracks. Shortly before the liberation of Auschwitz, Philip Carel Hornemann was taken to Dachau Concentration camp and from there to Sachsenhausen Concentration camp. He died during the transport on 21 February 1945.

Eduard and Alexander Hornemann were brought to Neuengamme Concentration Camp on 28 November 1944 and murdered on 20 April 1945 here in Bullenhuser Damm.

Ans van Staveren, sister of Elisabeth Hornemann and aunt to Eduard and Alexander, did survive. She stayed hidden until the Netherlands was liberated. For a long time she hoped that her two nephews would come home. It was not until 1979 that she learned of the fate of her two nephews. She remained in contact with the Children of Bullenhuser Damm association until her death in 2008 at the age of 103.