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Gezinus Gringhuis

Gringhuis was one of the detectives who raided the premises at Prinsengracht 263 on 4 August 1944.

Gezinus Gringhuis was one of the detectives who raided the building at Prinsengracht 263 on 4 August 1944.[1] He joined the Amsterdam police force in 1918. He worked there until the German occupation of the Netherlands began.

He was a member of the Jewish Affairs Bureau from 21 August 1942 to 27 April 1943 and then of the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) until 30 April 1944.[2] In the latter office, he supervised the storage of confiscated household effects of Jewish households in Amsterdam. From 1 May to 1 November 1944, he belonged to the Special Branch (also known as Gruppe V) of the Criminal Investigation Department in The Hague. This meant that, although the department was under the actual leadership of SD staff, he was not a member of the SD during the raid on the Secret Annex, and was not charged with tracking down people in hiding, Jewish or otherwise.[3]

After working at the Special Branch, he returned to the Amsterdam police force. There, he worked for the Economic Affairs department. On 1 May 1945 — less than a week before he was sentenced — he filed a police report against an Amsterdammer who transported a batch of wheat without a licence.[4]

After an initial death sentence, Gringhuis received a life sentence on appeal. He was also deprived of various rights: to hold office, to serve in the armed forces and to vote and stand for election.[5]

Source personal data.[6]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Stadsarchief Amsterdam (SAA), Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart G. Gringhuis.
  2. ^ For more information about Gringhuis' activities during the war: Ad van Liempt & Jan Kompagnie, Jodenjacht. De onthutsende rol van de Nederlandse politie in de Tweede Wereldoorlog, Amsterdam: Balans, 2011.
  3. ^ Nationaal Archief, Den Haag (NL-HaNA), Zuivering Politie, inv. nr. 2212: Brief Burgemeester Amsterdam inzake pensioenrechten aan het Hoofd Afdeling Politie (Zuivering) Ministerie van Justitie, 3 juni 1948.
  4. ^ SAA, Gemeentepolitie Amsterdam, inv. nr. 2087: Rapport HB. S. VI. Economische Zaken, 1 mei 1945, mut. 9.00.
  5. ^ NL-HaNA, Centraal Archief van de Bijzondere Rechtspleging, inv. nr. 75395: Exploit d.d. 16 december 1947.
  6. ^ SAA, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart G. Gringhuis; Melissa Müller, Anne Frank. De biografie, 5e, geheel herziene druk, Amsterdam: Bert Bakker, 2013, p. 358.