A total of 106 million Dutch guilders passed through the hands of Walraven van Hall to sustain the Dutch resistance against the Nazi occupation. This substantial sum, equivalent to 500 million euros by 2016 valuations, provided the lifeblood for underground newspapers and groups fighting to survive within the Kingdom of the Netherlands during the Second World War.
Early Career and Finance
Born in Amsterdam in 1906 into an influential family, Walraven initially pursued a career as a merchant marine officer. After his eyesight caused his rejection from the service, he relocated to New York City in 1929. With assistance from his brother, Gijs van Hall, he secured a position at a Wall Street firm, gaining the expertise that would later define his resistance work. Upon returning to the Netherlands, he established himself as a banker and stockbroker.
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Following the German invasion in May 1940, Van Hall leveraged his financial background to aid families of stranded merchant sailors. He soon expanded his scope to fund the broader resistance movement. His operations, which earned him the nickname 'the banker to the resistance,' involved complex fraud against De Nederlandsche Bank. By falsifying and exchanging bank bonds behind the back of the Nazi-aligned president, Rost van Tonningen, he generated critical capital. He also borrowed directly from wealthy Dutch citizens, promising repayment after the war.
Coordination and Betrayal
By 1944, Van Hall led the National Support Fund and coordinated key resistance alliances known as the Nucleus and the Triangle. To maintain operational security, he utilized various pseudonyms, including Barends, Oom Piet, and Van Tuyl, while working alongside his courier, Hanneke Ippisch. His downfall occurred after Teus van Vliet was arrested and betrayed under torture in January 1945, leading German authorities to identify several resistance leaders.
Execution and Legacy
On 12 February 1945, Van Hall was executed in Haarlem as an act of reprisal for the death of a high-ranking police officer. He was buried at the Dutch Honorary Cemetery Bloemendaal. His contributions were formally recognized with the Dutch Cross of Resistance in 1946, the United States Medal of Freedom in 1953, and the title Righteous Among the Nations in 1978. A monument honoring his efforts was erected at Frederiksplein 40 in Amsterdam in 2010.
Fast facts
- Born: 1906, Amsterdam
- Died: 12 February 1945, Jan Gijzenbrug
- Occupations: banker, resistance fighter
- Burial site: Dutch Honorary Cemetery Bloemendaal
- Medal of Freedom award: 1953
- Righteous Among the Nations: 1978
- Key Resistance Role: Leader of National Support Fund
Questions readers ask
How did Van Hall secure funds for the resistance?
He falsified bonds from the Dutch National Bank and accepted loans from wealthy individuals, in addition to managing funds guaranteed by the Dutch government in London.
Why was Van Hall executed?
He was executed in Haarlem by German occupiers as an act of revenge following the death of a high-ranking police officer.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 1978
- Medal of Freedom — 1953
- Worked as banker and resistance fighter