Eindhoven
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For 10 years I worked for Philips and was not aware of this bit of the company’s history, although I worked in a different plant in another city, the links to Eindhoven were substantial because HQ was located there. On 6th December 1942, the RAF mounted Operation Oyster, a daylight low-level bombing raid on the
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On September 18, 1944, American paratroopers entered Eindhoven, liberating the city. Their mission was not only to free the population but also to secure the advance route and the bridges over the River Dommel, ensuring they remained open for the approaching British ground forces. Citizens of Eindhoven, many dressed proudly in orange, lined the streets
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Before sharing the story of Frits Philips, I’d like to first touch on his family’s background The patriarch of the Philips family is Philip Philips, a Jewish merchant from North Rhine-Westphalia who came to the Netherlands. Little is known about him. He was married to Rebecca van Crefelt. Lion Philips (Zaltbommel, October 29, 1794 –
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German troops invaded the Netherlands in May 1940. The Nazi regime stayed in power in the Netherlands until May 1945. However, the Allies had already liberated the southern provinces in the autumn of 1944. Despite the occupation, life went ahead as usual for many, at least to some extent. The Nazi occupiers still allowed sporting
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A Pinch Cat Flashlight I worked for Philips from 1987 to 1997. It was a company that took great pride in its history. In 1891, mechanical engineer Gerard Philips (1858–1942) and his father—manufacturer, banker and tobacco and coffee trader—Frederik Philips founded the light bulb factory of the same name in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. In 1991,
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Geleen is a small former mining town in the province of Limburg, in the southeast of the Netherlands. It is not a particularly famous place, although it is where the first professional football was played in the Netherlands, and it used to host one of the world’s biggest rock festivals, “PinkPop.” It is also where
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Johan Hartog(December 26, 1939 – December 31, 1944) A winter dawn in Eindhoven’s sky,A child was born with a gentle cry.Johan Hartog, a soul so new,Unknowing of the path he’d rue. A boy whose laughter lit the air,Innocence woven in threads—so rare.Small hands reached for toys, for dreams,Eyes alight with childhood gleams. But the world
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The photograph above is of Celestinus Steinbach. He was born in Heerlen, the Netherlands, on February 13, 1929. The SS murdered him at Auschwitz-Birkenau on September 27, 1944. He was 15 years old. He posed for the photo when he was seven years old. Celestinus, aka Willy, was a member of the Steinbach family, a
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From 1987 to 1997, I worked for Philips. It was a global leader in electronics and is still a leader in healthcare technology. In 1991, it celebrated its 100th anniversary. We were promised a profit share, but due to cuts, that never happened. Instead, we received a book about the history—100 years of Philips. 50
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Eduard and Alexander Hornemann are two of the 20 Bullenhuser Damm children who were murdered on 20 April 1945. I have written about the Bullenhuser Damm children before, but I just want to focus on the two brothers now. The reason being, at another time it could have been my boys whose names would have
History of Sorts 