Biography

Barbara Ledermann Rodbell has been married to Martin Rodbell since 1950. They have four children.

In June 20, 1943, the Ledermanns were arrested by the Nazis. They were transported to the Westerbork transit camp, and then deported to the Auschwitz death camp in November 1943. Immediately upon arriving in the camp, Sanne and her parents were killed in the gas chambers of the camp. Barbara, was able to escape the Nazis through her contacts with the Dutch Underground. Barbara emigrated to the United States and later married the Nobel prize winning biochemist Martin Rodbell.

Barbara was a close friend of Margot Frank.

Older sister of Susanne Ledermann.

Oldest daughter of Franz Ledermann, a lawyer and musician, and Ilse Ciotren-Ledermann, a pianist.

Susanne is younger than me and loves to play with kids in the neighborhood, and dolls.

In 1933 we picked up and moved to a small apartment in Amsterdam, Neatherlands.

I met Margot Frank, a German girl whose family story was similar to hers. We became best friends. Margots' sister Anne was very curious, quirky, funny, and interested in absolutely everything. We would talk about the arts, and dancing.

Hi, my name is Barbara Ledermann. I was born on September 4th, 1925 in Berlin. I have two parents, Frank and Ilse Ledermann.

I remember a German voice on the loud-speakers that mumbled through Amsterdam. It ordered Jews to prepare themselves for transfer to the Nazis Westerbork collection camp in the cold northeastern corner of the Neatherlands. Luckily I escaped by leaving home months earlier with my parents support. I eventually got a false ID. The manordered that, "All of the Jews just come down the stairs and clim on the trucks." And they did....