Johannes Kleiman (17 August 1896 – 28 January 1959) was one of the Dutch residents who helped hide Anne Frank and her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. In the published version of Frank's diary, The Diary of a Young Girl, he is given the pseudonym Mr. Koophuis. In some later publications of the diary, the pseudonym was removed, and Kleiman was referred to by his real name.
Kleiman was born in Koog aan de Zaan, Netherlands and met Otto Frank in 1923, when he was trying to establish a branch of the Michael Frank Bank in Amsterdam. Kleiman was registered as a proxy for the bank in May 1924 and given full powers in December of that year when the bank went into liquidation. He was hired by Frank as a bookkeeper for Opekta and Pectacon in 1938, but had become a close friend from about 1933, when the Frank family fled to the Netherlands to escape Nazi persecution in Germany.
Johannes Kleiman became a member of the board of Opekta and the company was established at his home address for the next five months until it moved to Prinsengracht 263 at the end of 1940. He officially joined as bookkeeper for both Opekta and Pectacon, with Victor Kugler and secretary Bep Voskuijl for Pectacon, and Otto Frank and his secretary Miep Gies for Opekta.
In August 1944, Kleiman was arrested with Victor Kugler during the Gestapo raid that arrested the Frank family and four other concealed Jews in the premises on the Prinsengracht. After interrogation at Gestapo headquarters, he and Kugler were transferred to a prison on the Amstelveenseweg for Jews and political prisoners awaiting deportation. Kleiman was imprisoned in the Amersfoort labour camp before he was released by special dispensation of the Red Cross because of his ill health. In all, he was a prisoner of the Nazis for about six weeks.
After the publication of Anne Frank's diary, which detailed her two years in hiding, Kleiman regularly took journalists and visitors around the former hiding place, which had been vacated in the early 1950s. He became very involved in the establishment of the Anne Frank Foundation on 3 May 1957 but did not live to see the building open as a museum in 1960. He died, behind his desk, on 28 January 1959. Otto Frank was devastated about this loss. On 8 March 1972, Yad Vashem recognized Kleiman as one of the Righteous Among the Nations.
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Some of their strengths
Johannes Kleiman has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Confident, Energetic, Intelligent, Generous, Bold, Extroverted, and Passionate.
Bold and Confident
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Johannes Kleiman is someone who is a bold, confident, energetic, and optimistic person, who is able to combine personal warmth and charisma with intelligence. A person who is known for being diligent and strong.
Passionate and Intense
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Johannes Kleiman well know them as someone who can be passionate, proud, and intense, like the sun or a blazing fire.
Altruistic and Innovative
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Johannes Kleiman as someone who is altruistic, inventive, energetic, and socially-conscious.
Who is inventive, open-minded and inquisitive, optimistic and cooperative, and who loves working together with others.
Emotionally Intelligent and Intuitive
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Johannes Kleiman is someone who tends to have strong emotional intelligence and intuition, and who can be a catalyst of change for others.
They are also someone who is reflective, mysterious, and purposeful, who enjoys quiet and solo work, and who thrives in positions where there is no need to report to someone else.
Creative and Leadership-oriented
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Johannes Kleiman tends to be someone who is a natural leader, with determination, motivational powers, and who takes obligations seriously. Who has charisma, a sense of humor, and who tends to attract attention.
Some of Johannes Kleiman's challenges
While Johannes Kleiman has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Johannes Kleiman can be Arrogant, Unrealistic, Status-seeking, Impulsive, Careless, Indecisive, and Anxious.
Arrogant and Status-seeking
One of Johannes Kleiman's key challenges is that they are someone who can come across as arrogant and status-seeking.
Johannes Kleiman must also exercise caution as they can be short-tempered and aggressive.
Anxious and Inflexible
Johannes Kleiman is someone who can be high-strung, impatient, and inflexible, who can be "penny wise and pound foolish", have poor listening skills, and who can be intolerant of people who share a different world view.
Domineering and Stubborn
Finally, Johannes Kleiman also can be too rebellious, not respond to criticism well, and be too emotional and extreme about things.