About the Family

The ANDRIESSE family is presumed to have received Portuguese visas in Bordeaux in June 1940.

Julius, Ella and their son Louis were Dutch citizens, living in Belgium when the war broke out. Together with their daughter Elisabeth ("Liesje") Henriette Louise Andriesse (1908-1944), her husband Abraham Pinkus Spira (1903-1949) and their son John/Jean Spira (around 1938-1944) they attempted to cross into France during the German invasion. Liesje's husband Abraham Pinkus Spira was Polish and had become stateless in Belgium. As a result, Liesje and her young son Jean were also stateless. They were turned back at the French border. Julius, Ella and Louis continued into France and after a long, difficult 100 day journey, eventually made it to Portugal and on to the Netherlands East Indies, via Mozambique. A year later they were interned there in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps. They survived the war.

Julius, Ella and Louis continued into France and after a long, difficult 100 day journey, eventually made it to Portugal and on to the Netherlands East Indies, via Mozambique. A year later they were interned there in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps. They survived the war. The brother of Mrs. Martine de Schampheleire remembered that his stepfather Louis Andriesse had once mentioned to him that he and his parents had received visas for Portugal from the Portuguese Consulate in Bordeaux in 1940. No tangible proof of this remark has been found, but it is known that from May 27, 1940 the Andriesse family stayed 8 days in Saintes just North of Bordeaux before continuing on their journey to Toulouse and Marseille. The family of Liesje, Abraham Pinkus and John/Jean Spira eventually also made it to Vichy France, but their story did not have a happy ending. Abraham Pinkus reached Spain on foot to prepare the way for Liesje and their son Jean. But they were arrested in France on their escape route to Spain and were deported via Drancy to Auschwitz, where mother and child were killed in July 1944.