Benjamin Levie was the son of Salomon Benjamin Levie and Rachel Breebaard. He moved to Meppel in 1891 and lived at various addresses in that town. In 1892 he married Grietje Kan, the daughter of Sander Kan and Vogeltje Lezer. Benjamin and Grietje had six children, two of whom died young. Grietje died in 1941 and was buried in the Jewish cemetery on Steenwijkerstraatweg in Meppel. In 1941, Benjamin Levie was forbidden to go on practicing his occupation. On 3 October 1943, he and much of his family were removed from their home in Hagenstraat and taken to Westerbork.
Addition of a visitor of the website
Benjamin Levie sold blue enamel pots and pans at the market in Meppel. This was how he became known as 'Pannechien Blauw'. To get the attention of passersby, he would strike a pot with an iron bar. The sound resembled the bell of the Dutch Calvinist church, which came to be known as 'Pannechien Blauw' as well.
L. Huizing, 'De verdwenen mediene. Twee en een halve eeuw Hoogeveens jodendom' in: L. Huizing en J. Wattel, Hoogeveen. Van Echtens morgenland (Hoogeveen 1975)
In addition, a Jokos file (number 50577) on this person is at the Amsterdam Municipal Archive. Access is subject to authorization from the Stichting Joods Maatschappelijk Werk.
This person is commemorated on a memorial in Meppel. More information on this memorial can be found (in Dutch) on the website of the Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei.