Walraven van Hall
Encyclopedia
Wallraven van Hall was a Dutch banker and resistance leader during the occupation of the Netherlands
in World War II
.
Having been born in a well known influential Dutch family Van Hall initially studied to become an officer in the merchant marine. However after having worked for some years as third mate he was rejected because of his eyesight after passing the exam for second mate. Not being able to work in the merchant marine he moved to New York
in 1929. His brother, the future mayor of Amsterdam, Gijs van Hall, who already worked at a bank, helped him get a job there with a Wall street firm. Having thus been introduced to banking he returned to the Netherlands and became a banker and stockbroker.
After the Germans invaded Holland in 1940 a fund was established to help families of merchant-sailors, (who were stranded abroad when war broke out,). Van Hall was asked to help setup the Amsterdam chapter together with his brother Gijs. Because of his banking experience he was able to provide funding with the help of guarantees by the Dutch government in London
. Soon the Germans began taking anti-Jewish and forced labour measures and resistance against these measures increased. Van Hall expanded his fundraising activities for all kinds of resistance groups and he became known as the banker of the resistance.
One of the ways in which Van Hall raised funds for the resistance was the "robbing" of the De Nederlandsche Bank
(Dutch National Bank). With the approval of the Dutch government in exile the Van Halls managed to obtain as much as 50 million Dutch guilders. According to Nout Wellink
, president of the bank in 2010, this figure is comparable to half a billion Euro's nowadays. Together with his brother Van Hall falsified banknotes and changed them in the bank for the real notes. With these papers money was collected. This was done behind the back of Rost van Tonningen
president of the bank and a notorious member of the Dutch Nazi-party National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands
(NSB).
Another way of collecting money was borrowing from wealthy Dutch people. As a proof of their investments, they got a worthless old stock. The number was registered. After the war they could get their money back in exchange for the stock paper.
In 1944 Walraven was the leader of the NSF (National Support Fund) and he was the coordinator of the Kern (nucleus) and the Driehoek (triangle) a cooperation of various resistance groups
. The NSF supported a variety of resistance groups and underground papers like Trouw
, Het Parool
and Vrij Nederland
.
Prime minister Schermerhorn called Van Hall a key figure of the Dutch resistance.
Wallraven had various nicknames in the resistance movement: he was called the Olieman (the oilman) for his abilities to lubricate the friction between resistance groups. Other names were Van Tuyl, Ome Piet (Uncle Pete) and Barends.
His personal courier was Hanneke Ippisch, author of the book Sky. Her job was to find a safe meeting place every friday for the resistance leaders. On January 27th 1945 the meeting pace was given away by a member of the resistance who had been arrested the day before and who wrongly believed the members of the meeting would know he had been arrested and wouldn't attend the meeting. Although the Germans had a vague idea there had to be somebody who coordinated the finances for the resistance they never found out it was Van Hall. Walraven van Hall was executed in Haarlem as revenge for the death of a high ranking police officer. After the war he was buried in Overveen
on the Erebegraafplaats (Honorary Cemetery).
Van Hall was posthumously awarded by the Dutch government with the Dutch Cross of Resistance
(Verzetskruis). The United States awarded him with the Medal of Freedom with Gold Palm.
In honor of his deeds in the resistance a monument was erected in the fall of 2010 near the Nederlandsche Bank at the Frederiksplein in Amsterdam.
Website about Wally van Hall (In Dutch)
Website by historians on Van Hall (In Dutch)
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Having been born in a well known influential Dutch family Van Hall initially studied to become an officer in the merchant marine. However after having worked for some years as third mate he was rejected because of his eyesight after passing the exam for second mate. Not being able to work in the merchant marine he moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1929. His brother, the future mayor of Amsterdam, Gijs van Hall, who already worked at a bank, helped him get a job there with a Wall street firm. Having thus been introduced to banking he returned to the Netherlands and became a banker and stockbroker.
After the Germans invaded Holland in 1940 a fund was established to help families of merchant-sailors, (who were stranded abroad when war broke out,). Van Hall was asked to help setup the Amsterdam chapter together with his brother Gijs. Because of his banking experience he was able to provide funding with the help of guarantees by the Dutch government in London
Dutch government in exile
The Dutch government in exile was the government of the Netherlands, headed by Queen Wilhelmina, that evacuated to London after the German invasion of the country at the outset of World War II....
. Soon the Germans began taking anti-Jewish and forced labour measures and resistance against these measures increased. Van Hall expanded his fundraising activities for all kinds of resistance groups and he became known as the banker of the resistance.
One of the ways in which Van Hall raised funds for the resistance was the "robbing" of the De Nederlandsche Bank
De Nederlandsche Bank
De Nederlandsche Bank is the central bank of the Netherlands. It is part of the European System of Central Banks .-History:...
(Dutch National Bank). With the approval of the Dutch government in exile the Van Halls managed to obtain as much as 50 million Dutch guilders. According to Nout Wellink
Nout Wellink
Arnout Henricus Elisabeth Maria "Nout" Wellink is a Dutch economist and central banker.In 2010, Financial News determined that Wellink as the one man who is believed to have wielded the greatest influence on worldwide financial oversight including "game-changing proposals on capital requirements...
, president of the bank in 2010, this figure is comparable to half a billion Euro's nowadays. Together with his brother Van Hall falsified banknotes and changed them in the bank for the real notes. With these papers money was collected. This was done behind the back of Rost van Tonningen
Meinoud Rost van Tonningen
Meinoud Marinus Rost van Tonningen was a Dutch politician of the National Socialist Movement . During World War II and the German occupation of the Netherlands, he collaborated extensively with the German occupation forces.-Early life:Rost van Tonningen was born in the Dutch East Indies...
president of the bank and a notorious member of the Dutch Nazi-party National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands
National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands
The National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands was a Dutch fascist and later national socialist political party. As a parliamentary party participating in legislative elections, the NSB had some success during the 1930s...
(NSB).
Another way of collecting money was borrowing from wealthy Dutch people. As a proof of their investments, they got a worthless old stock. The number was registered. After the war they could get their money back in exchange for the stock paper.
In 1944 Walraven was the leader of the NSF (National Support Fund) and he was the coordinator of the Kern (nucleus) and the Driehoek (triangle) a cooperation of various resistance groups
Dutch resistance
Dutch resistance to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized by its prominent non-violence, summitting in over 300,000 people in hiding in the autumn of 1944, tended to by some 60,000 to 200,000 illegal landlords and caretakers and tolerated knowingly...
. The NSF supported a variety of resistance groups and underground papers like Trouw
Trouw
Trouw is a Dutch daily newspaper. "Trouw" is a Dutch word meaning "fidelity", "loyalty", or "allegiance", and is cognate with the English adjective "true"...
, Het Parool
Het Parool
Het Parool is an Amsterdam-based daily newspaper. It was founded as a resistance paper during World War II by Frans Van Heuven Goedhart and Jaap Nunes Vaz...
and Vrij Nederland
Vrij Nederland
Vrij Nederland is a Dutch magazine which was established during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II as an underground newspaper but has since grown into a magazine. The weekly magazine is generally considered to be intellectually left-wing...
.
Prime minister Schermerhorn called Van Hall a key figure of the Dutch resistance.
Wallraven had various nicknames in the resistance movement: he was called the Olieman (the oilman) for his abilities to lubricate the friction between resistance groups. Other names were Van Tuyl, Ome Piet (Uncle Pete) and Barends.
His personal courier was Hanneke Ippisch, author of the book Sky. Her job was to find a safe meeting place every friday for the resistance leaders. On January 27th 1945 the meeting pace was given away by a member of the resistance who had been arrested the day before and who wrongly believed the members of the meeting would know he had been arrested and wouldn't attend the meeting. Although the Germans had a vague idea there had to be somebody who coordinated the finances for the resistance they never found out it was Van Hall. Walraven van Hall was executed in Haarlem as revenge for the death of a high ranking police officer. After the war he was buried in Overveen
Overveen
Overveen is an affluent town in North Holland in the Netherlands, in the municipality of Bloemendaal.Overveen lies on the eastern fringe of the North Sea dunes...
on the Erebegraafplaats (Honorary Cemetery).
Van Hall was posthumously awarded by the Dutch government with the Dutch Cross of Resistance
Dutch Cross of Resistance
The Verzetskruis 1940–1945 is one of the highest possible decorations that exist within the Kingdom of the Netherlands....
(Verzetskruis). The United States awarded him with the Medal of Freedom with Gold Palm.
In honor of his deeds in the resistance a monument was erected in the fall of 2010 near the Nederlandsche Bank at the Frederiksplein in Amsterdam.
External links
Wally van Hall 1906 - 1945. Banker to the ResistanceWebsite about Wally van Hall (In Dutch)
Website by historians on Van Hall (In Dutch)