In the late 1930s, many German Jews tried to flee persecution in Nazi Germany. The Netherlands allowed a few to enter their borders. Jews in the Netherlands were committed to helping these refugees cross the border and arranged shelter. One of them was the Karel Nihom from Winterswijk. Not only did Karel help Jewish refugees, but he was also engaged in espionage for the British intelligence service. The German invasion put him in a precarious situation.
After Kristallnacht, many Jews tried to escape from Nazi Germany. In response, European countries, for the most part, closed their borders. The Jewish refugees then attempted to cross the border illegally. They bribed German border customs officers allowing some into the Netherlands. When they were caught, the Dutch government would ruthlessly send them back. Karel had good contacts with the Marechaussee and the Dutch Border Police, which helped the refugees cross the border without the risk of being sent back.
The refugees were helped in the Netherlands by the Committee for Special Jewish Interests. The Committee for Jewish Refugees subsection, of which Karel was a part, received them. Funding for this work came from the Jewish community in the Netherlands. They paid for the reception of the refugees and the construction of Refugee Camp Westerbork in 1939.
Karel Nihom was not only concerned with helping Jewish refugees. He also worked for British Intelligence. The German government was aware and pressured the Dutch government to thwart Karel. The Dutch government conceded to guarantee neutrality. Karel was arrested in early October 1939. He was forced to move and live at least thirty kilometres from the border. Karel moved to Scheveningen, and his family followed in April 1940.
After the German invasion, Karel panicked. He was on the radar of the German intelligence service. The panic was justified because Karel was on the German list of Dutch people to be arrested. Therefore, he knew he would be among one of the first arrests after the capitulation of the Netherlands. To cover his tracks as much as possible, he burned a lot of documents at home on May 14. That night Karel went to the harbour to look for a ship to take him to England. This did not work. In the morning, Karel took his life by hanging.
His wife and sons went into hiding and survived the war.
In the May days of 1940, 388 suicides were committed, of which 201 were by Jews. Later, many Jews took their own lives.
Sources
https://www.oorlogsbronnen.nl/artikel/spion-karel-nihom-pleegt-zelfmoord-tijdens-meidagen-1940
https://www.oorlogsbronnen.nl/mensen?personterm=Zelfmoordgolf+mei+1940
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