Werner Russ had fled to the Netherlands from Germany around 1936, together with his two brothers. They owned a shoe factory in Germany, Haase & Russ, whose products included the well-known brand Puma. In the Netherlands they continued working in the shoe business, at David Wolff’s factory in Meppel. One of the brothers eventually fled to London and survived the war. Another brother, who was married to a non-Jewish woman, escaped from the labour camp Havelte and survived, having gone into hiding. Werner Russ died in Sobibor.
Addition of a visitor of the website
More biographical information, including photographs, can be found at the familypage of Werner Russ at the website Joods Monument Meppel.