Biography

About Cato Wolff

Cato Wolff (nickname Kitty) was the daughter of Benjamin Mozes Wolff, wholesaler in cattle and meat, and Rosalia Israëls. After the final exam at the Secondary Girls' school (MMS) in Arnhem, she followed a three-year secretarial course in German, French and English at the private school of Maddy Swaan. After completing the course, she worked for the J.J.E. Hulsewé Insurance agency until 12 March 1941, the day when a German ruling banned all Jews from business life.

Cato Wolff lived with her parents at 11 Sweerts de Landastraat in Arnhem. She was an animal lover. She kept rabbits and a tortoise, called Skipy. She looked after Centa, the family dog. In January 1943, the police commissioner of Arnhem issued a search warrant for her.
It was requested that Cato Wolff, resident in Arnhem, be located, detained and brought in. She was suspected of having changed her place of residence without the required authorization. This description referred to Jews who had gone into hiding.

Cato Wolff tried to escape to Switzerland. She was caught and deported to Auschwitz via the French camp Drancy.
Algemeen Politieblad, no. 2, 14 January 1943, 32, notice 120; M. Wolff, De nakomelingen van Wolff ben Eleazar en Moshe ben Gompertz Halevi, 1695-1995 (Arnhem 2001) 251-255.

The funeral records at the Jewish cemetery in Arnhem reveal that a memorial stone is placed for Cato Wolff.