Louis Degen, also known as Loutje, was a son of Marcus Degen and Sientje van der Glas. He married Rebecca (Beppie) Berger on 8 April 1937 in Amsterdam, a daughter of Isaias Berger and Emma Dekker. The couple had two children, namely Isaias (also known as Sjakie) and Marcus. The latter has survived the Holocaust by hiding. Isaias however was killed in Sobibor, only 3 years old, toghether with his parents.
Louis was a diamond trader. He was already in bussiness at the Diamond Exchange of Amsterdam at young age. At one of the pictures of him, placed on the Jewish Monument is to see how he as an 18-year old trader with collegue dealers is checking the quality of a party of diamonds.
Louis had a sister Eva, who however was already sent to Camp Westerbork on 17 July 1942 , to be deported on 21 July to Auschwitz where she must have arrived on 24 July 1942. Eventually she was killed there on 30 September 1942.
Louis Degen, his wife Rebecca Berger and his son Sjakie were sent to Camp Westerbork on 23 March 1943, where they had to stay in barack 60. They all were deported on 6 April to Sobibor, where they have been killed immediately upon arrival there on 9 April 1943.
City Archive of Amsterdam, archive card of Louis Degen; website www.wiewaswie.nl and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council of Amsterdam, card of Louis Degen.