Hermanus de Leeuw, the second son of Abraham de Leeuw and Betje Zeehandelaar, was a cattle trader by profession. He married Selina Voorzanger in Amsterdam on 11 June 1919, a daughter of Salomon Voorzanger and Sara Polk. The couple had two children, namely Salomon in 1920 and Abraham in 1925. The couple lived at Pretoriusstraat 54 ground floor in Amsterdam.
Already on 22 July 1942 the sons Salomon and Abraham de Leeuw reported in Westerbork on behalf of the so-called work-expansion in Germany. Five days later, on 27 July they were sent to Auschwitz and on arrival there on 30 July 1942 employed as forced laborers. How Salomon and Abraham de Leeuw have lost their lives in Auschwitz is not known. Known is however that Abraham de Leeuw, according to reports coming in at the Jewish Council “passed away” in Auschwitz on 14 August 1942. Of Salomon that is unknown. Therefore the Dutch authorities ordered the City of Amsterdam after the war to draw up a certificate of death for Salomon de Leeuw, in which his date of death and place is established as on 30 September 1942 in Auschwitz.
Hermanus de Leeuw arrived 8 August 1942 in Westerbork, most likely together with his wife Selina Voorzanger. Both were put on transport to Auschwitz on 10 August which arrived there 13 August 1942. Both have been employed there as forced laborers and it is also not known of Hermanus as well of Selina when exact they have lost their lives there. Also for them, the Dutch authorities ordered the City of Amsterdam after the war to draw up certificates of death, in which both their date of death and place has been established as on 30 September 1942 in Auschwitz.
Sources among others: City Archive of Amsterdam, archive card of Hermanus de Leeuw; website wiewaswie.nl re. marriage of Hermanus de Leeuw x Selina Voorzanger; website Wikipedia Jodentransporten vanuit Nederland and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Hermanus de Leeuw, Selina de Leeuw-Voorzanger, Salomon de Leeuw and Abraham de Leeuw.