Biography

About Regina Polak

Regina Polak was a daughter of Mozes Polak and Mietje Velleman. She married Izak Arpels in Amsterdam on 17 January 1917, a son of Pinehas Arpels and Sientje Vijevano. In October 1917 their son Pierre was born but since 1921 the couple lived seperately from each other. Regina’s husband had been moved to Antwerp where he claimed to be divorced officially from Regina and where he cohabited with an unmarried non-Jewish woman. Eventually Izak Arpels has been deported from Mechelen to Auschwitz with Convoy XXI, which was constructed on 19 July 1943 and departed 31 July, and presumably killed immediately on arrival on 2 August 1943.

Regina’s (and Izak’s) son Pierre lived al the time together with his mother at Ruyschstraat 105 II in Amsterdam. He married 22 April 1942 Lena de Groot from Rapenburgerstraat 106 III in Amsterdam, who came living in on 28 August 1941 with Pierre and his mother.  Both have been killed on 30 September 1942 in Auschwitz.

Regina arrived 9 January 1943 in Camp Westerbork and has been deported to Auschwitz on the 18th, and  three days later upon arrival there, killed on 21 January 1943.

City Archive of Amsterdam, archive card of Regina Polak, Pierre Arpels and, Lena de Groot; The Dossier of Foreigneers of the City of Antwerp, nr. 153936, images  377-379; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council of Amsterdam, record of Regina Polak and an addition of a visitor of the website.