Harmannus Polak was a son of Simon Polak and Bettje van Rhijn, a family with in total nine children. One child died in infancy, only 1 year old and one child has survived the Holocaust. All other children, namely Carolina, Philip, Hartog, Salomo, Bertha, Anna and Harmannus self, have been killed in the Shoah.
Harmannus married Rosette Gersons on 11 May 1906 in Tiel, a daugther of Benjamin David Gersons and Betje Manasse. The couple had two children: Bettje (Bep) and Benjamin David. She was killed in the Shoah. He died in 14 October 1944 in Vuren in the province of Gelderland in an attempt to reach by swimming the liberated south.
In the early days of October 1942, Hermannus was brought into camp Westerbork, together with his wife Rosette. Both have been deported on 9 October to Auschwitz and upon arrival there on 12 October 1942 immediately killed.
Website www.wiewaswie.nl; the archive of the Jewish Council, card of Harmannus Polak and an addition of Jan Ridderbos.
This person is commemorated on a memorial in Hoogeveen. More information on this memorial can be found (in Dutch) on the website of the Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei.