Robert Emanuel Heilbut
Dutch Jewish composer

Robert (Rob) Emanuel Heilbut (1919-1945) was a Dutch Jewish composer who wrote songs during the Holocaust about his experiences in Amsterdam, transition camp Westerbork and concentration camp Bergen-Belsen.
Life in Amsterdam
Robert Emanuel Heilbut was a musician, composer and Holocaust victim.
Robert was born on February 2, 1919, in Amsterdam to Ernst Heilbut (1888–1943) and Flora Heilbut-Kalker (1888–1943). He grew up in a close-knit Jewish family with two brothers. A clerk by profession, Rob was also a passionate and gifted musician. He played the clarinet, accordion, and piano, and taught these instruments alongside music notation in his free time.
Rob's musical talent soon led him to the Joods Kleinkunst Ensemble (Jewish Cabaret Ensemble), which performed in the Hollandsche Schouwburg, then a vibrant cultural venue for Jewish artists. In the spring of 1942, Rob took part as a guest musician in the ensemble's successful show Fortissimo!, staged at the Jewish Theatre in Amsterdam.
During this period, Rob met Annette "Netty" Dientje Frankfort (born in 1918), the daughter of the famous painter Eduart Salomon Frankfort. They fell in love and married in 1942.
The public source identifies “Robert Emanuel Heilbut” as dutch Jewish composer. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Robert, Emanuel and Heilbut.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Robert Emanuel Heilbut”, the useful work is to connect “dutch Jewish composer” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q112438821. VIAF identifies the subject as 95496258. The Library of Congress control number is no2009161374. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1919, 1945, 1888 and 1943.
A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Robert Emanuel Heilbut”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Robert Emanuel Heilbut primary sources, Robert Emanuel Heilbut archive and Robert research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Robert Emanuel Heilbut”?
- How has the subject’s reputation changed across later accounts?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Robert Emanuel Heilbut” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.