Remembering Simon de la Bella—Murdered in Dachau 11 July 1942

It is impossible to remember all six million+ Jewish victims of the Holocaust individually. However, it is important whenever it is possible to remember one individual to do so. Because they weren’t born to be victims, they were born to lead a life like anyone else. They were all human beings, with the same needs, pains, sorrows, joys, hunger, thirst and emotions as everyone else.

Today I am remembering Simon de la Bella, he was born in Amsterdam, on 28 October 1889. He was murdered in Dachau on 11 July 1942, in Dachau. He was a Dutch Jewish politician and trade union man.

He was the son of Aron de la Bella, diamond cleaver, and Cato van Vriesland. On November 25, 1914, he married Hinderientje van Zuiden, with whom he had a daughter. De la Bella called himself De la Bella Jr.

He was a Socialist trade unionist and senator, who co-authored the ‘Labour Plan’ in 1935. Simon was initially an office worker and director of the Association of Office Workers. He then became treasurer and secretary of the NVV and was one of the founders of the publishing house De Arbeiderspers. In 1935 he was elected a member of the Senate for the SDAP and there he quickly questioned the government about the reduction in unemployment benefits. Managed to secure the union’s capital in 1939.

He was the vice-chairman of the Nederlands Verbond van Vakverenigingen (NVV)-Netherlands Union of Trade organisations-.

On July 16, 1940, De la Bella and NVV chairman Evert Kupers were dismissed by order of the Germans.

Four days later he was informed that the Germans wanted to arrest him because of the 5 million guilders he had transferred to England. A hiding place had been arranged, but De la Bella wanted to think about it for another night. He was arrested that same evening. On the way to prison, De la Bella ingested poison, but the suicide attempt failed because the poison worked too slowly and his stomach was pumped out. He was detained in the House of Detention on the Weteringschans until September 4, before he was deported to Dachau. On 11 July 1942, he was murdered in the gas chamber in Dachau.