Leo Polak

Passions

Vocation

Notable

Traits

Dutch philosopher, jurist, humanist and freethinker. He was one of the first victims of National Socialism in the Netherlands as he protested against the Nazi Berufsverbote for Jews. After finishing the Gymnasium of Zwolle (summer 1898), Polak studied Law at the University of Amsterdam , succeeded in 1903 with honors for doctoral Law and received his doctorate in 1921 thesis "De zin der vergelding" (The sense of retribution). At first he was a private tutor in the theory of knowledge. In 1925 Leo Polak was extraordinary professor at the University of Leiden in the philosophy and law. In 1928 he was appointed professor of philosophy at the University of Groningen , succeeding Gerard Heymans. He would remain until his death. After 1910 he became active in the free-thinking for the Freethinkers Association Aurora (his first article dates from 1913). He gave in 1931, 1932 and 1933 include radio lectures on various topics for the Freethinkers Radio Broadcasting Association (VRO) and he was a prominent collaborator and adviser of the freethinkers association Aurora, but as far as is known, not a member. However, he was chairman of the Dutch Atheïstenbond. Polak also worked as a councillor for the People's University in Groningen. Polak was one of the early victims of the Holocaust. November 1940 professors of Jewish descent were made inactive. He was arrested in February 1941. He was betrayed by the pro- Nazi rector of the University of Groningen, Kapteyn. In a letter Polak objected he had called the Germans 'enemy' against his suspension. Kapteyn had read this letter to the German authorities . After being held prison in Groningen and Leeuwarden, August 1941 Polak was deported to camp Sachsenhausen . In various testimonies he showed great strength of mind: he even gave more lectures and held a diary (August 1901 till May 1941) to achieve "euthymia". Polak died in Sachsenhausen on December 9, 1941 by internal bleeding when he was still forced a day after complex intestinal surgery in the camp hospital to carry stones in the context of forced labour. Personal He married in 1917 with Henriette Antoinette Schwarz (1893-1974), one of the heirs of the essence factory Polak & Schwarz . They had three daughters. Polak was an uncle of the publisher Johan Polak . His second daughter Henriette jr. (Jetteke) (11 October 1921, Amsterdam) took part in the resistance. She was arrested on the street in Groningen in 1941 and first deported to Ravensbrück and then to Auschwitz, where she died on November 11, 1942. Henriette sr., And two other children, Bettina (23 March 1919, Amsterdam) and Annie (Ans) (21 May 1924, Amsterdam), left Groningen, arrived in Dutch camps, went into hiding and survived the war. Henriette sr acquired after the war reputation as a patron and was called the mother of the Humanist Association. She was one of the founders of the humanistic AH Gerhard House in Amsterdam Slotermeer, which was responsible for housing atheist elderly, the Rosa Spier house in Laren and named after her Museum Henriette Polak in Zutphen. In 1972 she founded in honour of her husband the Leo Polak House in Amsterdam. The Foundation Endowed the Leo Polak Chair at the University of Groningen. Polak is depicted on the memorial windows in the Academy Building of the University. Link to German Wikipedia