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Hermann van Pels - work in Amsterdam

Subject

Hermann van Pels had worked in the food industry since he was 20 years old. He ran an import-export firm with his brother Max and was a representative at his father's butchery supplies business. After coming to the Netherlands, he remained active primarily in that industry.

Nevertheless, a few months after his arrival, he started a business trading in textiles and knitted goods with his brother-in-law Max Goldschmidt. The business was called Moderna and was located at Goldschmidt's residential address. After more than a year, Hermann van Pels withdrew from Moderna and Goldschmidt continued the business alone.[1]

Van Pels returned to his old profession; he was listed with the municipality as a 'merchant/butcher's waste (casings etc)'.[2] After the establishment of Pectacon, he joined the company around 1939. According to Otto Frank, he was through his financial reserves by then, but earned enough to rent a nice house and live a good life.[3] Towards the end of 1940, Pectacon moved to Prinsengracht and had the space it needed to grow. Hermann van Pels was listed in the phone book around that time as 'Wholesaler in spices, manufacturer of brine salt and spices'.[4]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Noord-Hollands Archief, Haarlem, Handelsregister van de Kamer van Koophandel Amsterdam, toegang 448, inv. nr. 1045: handelsonderneming Moderna, dossier 51150.
  2. ^ Stadsarchief Amsterdam, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart Hermann van Pels.
  3. ^ Anne Frank Stichting, Anne Frank Collectie, Otto Frank Archief, reg. code OFA_076: Otto Frank aan Trude Heymann-Leeser inzake 'Entschädigung', 29 november 1963.
  4. ^ Naamlijst interlocalen telefoondienst, datum van afsluiting 5 november 1940, z.p. (Den Haag): Hoofdbestuur der P.T.T., januari 1941, p. 182.