door A notable item in the auction catalog of René Hillesum Filatelie on November 30, 2024, is lot number 6181: a 1947 cover from the United States. This envelope, postmarked on March 12, 1947, in Northfield, Minnesota, was addressed to Ies Lipschits in Rotterdam. Lipschits (1930-2008) was then staying at a hideout provided by Piet van Maris, a prominent communist resistance fighter in the Netherlands. This background makes the envelope unique, as it offers a glimpse into the post-war network of survivors and resistance members involved in supporting Jewish youth.
What makes this envelope even more remarkable is the combination of stamps from different countries. The American stamps, Scott 807 (President Thomas Jefferson, 3 cents, purple) and Scott 907 (Allied Nations Issue, 2 cents, red), date from 1938 and 1943, respectively. These stamps are characteristic of the post-war period and emphasize the connection with the Allies. In addition to these American stamps, a 10-cent Dutch Wilhelmina van Konijnenburg stamp (issued in 1940, NVPH 335) was added as postage for domestic delivery after the envelope’s arrival in the Netherlands.
It is noteworthy that by spring 1947, Ies Lipschits had moved to the Jewish Boys’ Home in Amsterdam, a special orphanage established for young Jewish survivors of World War II. The envelope bears a Rotterdam postmark dated March 28, 1947, indicating when the letter was forwarded to Amsterdam.
Ies Lipschits would later become known as the founder of the Jewish Monument (www.joodsmonument.nl), a memorial dedicated to Holocaust victims in the Netherlands. The accompanying documentation with this envelope provides further background on his life and the historical context in which the letter was sent. This philatelic item is not only of interest to stamp collectors but also to historians and those interested in the history of the Dutch resistance and Holocaust remembrance. The envelope and accompanying stamps carry a story of connection, resilience, and the complex aftermath of the war.
