Jacob Michel was born at Sint Antoniebreestraat 24 in Amsterdam on 19 September 1894 as a son of Friedrich Michel and Lena Reiwit. According to family tradition, he was a cheerful person, "a gay dog", usually ate at home and was unmarried. Jacob worked as a house servant, cigar maker and diamond cutter. He had been a member of the ANDB, the General Dutch Diamond Workers Union, since January 1914 a…