Righteous unto the nations

Remembering Harold
and Rebecca Deen
In April 1942 Jewish citizens were ordered
to wear “The Jewish Star” and in late May
1942 there was a complete ban on travelling.
The laws tightened and in June Jews
were required to surrender their bicycles.
The Nazi’s were increasingly active and
Amsterdam became the central area for
marshalling Dutch Jewish citizens. At this
time the trade unions conducted a general
strike further angering the Nazi’s.
Harold Deen 11 February 1923 to 16 July 1943
In early 1940 Harold Deen was a civil
engineering student at the Middelbare
Technical School (MTS) in Haarlem, The
Netherlands. Daily he commuted over
100 kilometres. He planned to complete
a 3-year course in civil engineering (first
and third year were academic and second
year fieldwork)
To assist Harold the school adjusted the
education program so that the academic
requirements were completed first. They/he
reasoned that it would be best to complete
the academic studies should the Germans
increase restrictions on the Jewish people.
In May 1941 Jewish people were not
permitted to travel or move house
without a permit issued from the Jewish
Council, Amsterdam. In January 1942
the Nazi’s, through the Jewish Council,
demanded the Jewish people who had
not come forward for transportation do
so immediately.
Jewish Star the “Star of David”
These activities made it increasingly dangerous
for Harold to travel to Haarlem. His
younger sister, Erica, vividly remembers how
she and her family feared daily for his safety.
In July 1942, Levie Deen received papers
demanding that 4 of his 6 children present
themselves for forced labour in Germany.
Erica remembers the family gathered in the
main bedroom and her father saying they
“had done nothing wrong” and should do as
the Germans requested.
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©2013 Edited and compiled by Martin Moen, Perth, Western Australia.