Biography

About Arnold David Koller

Arnold David Koller fled from Germany to the Netherlands, where he found shelter in Soest on 31 December 1938. On 21 July 1939 he left for Rotterdam, where he stayed at 1 Quarantainestraat, a home for Palestine pioneers. On 3 September 1940 he became a ward at the youth aliyah shelter of the Hof van Moerkerken in Mijnsheerenland. He remained there until the shelter closed on 16 October 1940, when he moved with other wards to the Paviljoen Loosdrechtse Rade youth aliyah home in Loosdrecht. On 2 September 1942 he was transferred to Huize Voorburg, the youth aliyah home in Elden. This home at the southern edge of Arnhem was intended for the older Palestine pioneers (ages 16 to 19). He remained here until 31 December 1942.

Arnold David Keller was deported from Westerbork to Bergen-Belsen, where he worked at the crematorium. Because the Nazis wanted to keep these activities secret, he was deported to Neuengamme after a while.
F. van der Straaten, Om nooit te vergeten. Herinneringen en belevenissen aan/van Palestina-Pioniers gedurende de oorlogsjaren 1939-1945 (Mijnsheerenland s.a.) 68, 88, 191, 214

This person is commemorated on a memorial in Loosdrecht. More information on this memorial can be found (in Dutch) on the website of the Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei.

More information about Arnold David Koller can be found on www.dokin.nl