Benjamin Israël van Polen, the younger of the two sons of Izak van Polen and Eva van Berg, was born on 31 May 1913 in Amsterdam. Benjamin worked in the company of his brother Isak Elkan van Polen as a paper products representative, and even lived with Isak and his wife Roza Polak between April 1923 and March 1938. During those years, Benjamin Israël van Polen was still unmarried
After he left his brother and sister-in-law in March 1938, he moved in with his father Isak van Polen, who then lived in the house at Zuider Amstelaan 14, but left from there again on 21 July 1939 to the address Amstellaan 30 2nd floor, where he took up residence with Leonardus Sitters.
On 15 May 1940, Benjamin moved in with his (then) future parents-in-law Mozes van Loggem and Roosje Kanes and their four children Levie, Betje. Isaac and Schoontje, who lived at Onbekendegracht no. 1 groundfloor.
On 7 November 1940, 27-year-old Benjamin Israël van Polen married in Amsterdam 32-year-old Schoontje van Loggem, a daughter of Mozes and Roosje. Schoontje was born on 22August 1908 in Amsterdam and on 19 May 1942 their only son Emil was born.
On 17 July 1942, when Emil was 2 months old, the Jewish Council granted a postponement of deportation to the Van Polen family, but for Benjamin Israël van Polen, this only lasted until 24 August 1942, the date on which he was deported to Auschwitz.
On the other hand, his wife Schoontje van Loggem and his son Emil were only arrested the next year, on 26 May 1943, and taken to Westerbork, where they were housed in barrack 61. On 1 June 1943, they were deported to Sobibor in a transport of more than 3000 victims. The only survivor was Jules Schelvis, the later author of the book “Extermination Camp Sobibor”. All others, including Schoontje van Polen-van Loggem and little Emil van Polen, were murdered in the gas chambers after their arrival on 4 June 1943.
Benjamin Israël van Polen, like his brother Isak Elkan, was brought to Westerbork on 23 August 1942 and deported to Auschwitz the next day, 24 August 1942. Most of this transport of 519 deportees probably responded to the call for the so-called “Arbeitseinsatz”.
It is unknown what the reason could be that Benjamin Israel was arrested despite the postponement of deportation because of “Kind unter 3 Monate”, and what has emerged, together with his brother Isak Elkan. The letters “Sch” on his and his brother's Jewish Council cards suggest that those letters mean “Schutzhaft” - preventive detention - also known as "administrative detention". Apparently they were both "displeasing" to the Germans and were immediately sent via Westerbork to Auschwitz without further trial.
When the deportation train arrived in Auschwitz approx. two or three days later, the Van Polen brothers were undoubtedly selected for employment, although it is not known where they ended up or what they had to do for “work”. The conditions in Auschwitz were inhumane and life in the camp was terribly difficult and harsh, as a result of which many quickly died from hardship, illness or otherwise.
Despite the investigations by the Red Cross into the concentration camps after the war, the Dutch authorities have been unable to establish anything other than that Benjamin Israël van Polen could no longer be alive after 30 September 1942. The municipality of Amsterdam was then instructed to draw up a death certificate for him, which recorded that Benjamin Israël van Polen died in Auschwitz on 30 September 1942.
But when large parts of the “Sterbebücher of Auschwitz” - the “Dead Books” were recovered in later years, it became apparent that Benjamin Israel van Polen was not murdered in Auschwitz until 7 October 1942. However, the Jewish Monument website currently publishes only the legal date of death, as published in the Dutch Government Gazette at the time.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration card of Izak van Polen (1872) and Mozes van Loggem (1881); archive card of Benjamin Israël van Polen(1913) and Schoontje van Loggem; Amsterdam residence card of Amstellaan 30 II; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Benjamin Israël van Polen, Schoontje van Polen-van Loggem and Emil van Polen; information by Raymund Schütz re Schützhaft; website Museum and Memorial Auschwitz-Birkenau/Auschwitz prisoners/ Benjamin van Polen and the Wikipedia website Jodentransporten vanuit Nederland.nl/transport 24 August 1942 en 1 Juni 1943.