Five Brothers and a War

Vacation to Germany—1936

Sixteen-year-old Leen and 15-year-old Piet were often out doing their own thing, and when the family went on their second summer vacation of 1936, this time to Germany, they managed to stay home. Bertus was only 8, and he, along with a year-younger cousin, was farmed out to Schiedam, where his opa, Pieter “Piet” Sonneveld, and oldest aunt, Esther “Hes” Sonneveld lived in a modest retirement complex (the custom at the time was that the eldest unmarried daughter would take care of her elderly parents). By this time, Piet Sonneveld was legally blind and walked with a white cane. He did not have a pension, and saved little money over the course of his life. He survived because Leendert, Marie and Marie’s brother, Kees Sonneveld, covered most of his expenses. While on their mini-vacation Hes would give Bertus and his cousin a bag of peanuts and they would slowly make their way to one of the big harbors where seagoing ships were being loaded or un-loaded in the massive Europort facility. The many cranes fascinated them and were great to watch as a pastime. The two youngsters also loved riding the streetcars to go to the Rotterdam Zoo. They were great times for Bertus, except for Sundays, which he felt were far too restrictive in doing the things he was interested in. With the other three brothers accounted for, Jan and Kees were left to go with their parents to Gerolstein, just to the east of Belgium and Luxmbourg. The town was very well known for its naturally-carbonated mineral water, Sprudel.

van Pelt

Five Brothers and a War

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