Philips owner who saved Jews dies
For Jews, Frederik Jacques Philips will always be remembered as the man who saved hundreds of Dutch Jews from deportation to Auschwitz
Frederik Jacques Philips, former head of the Dutch giant Philips and savior of hundreds of Jews during the Holocaust died last week, at the age of 100.
Frederick was the son of Philips Electronics cofounder Anton Philips. He was chief executive of the firm between 1961 and 1971 and the fourth CEO of the international company.
For Jews, Philips will always be remembered as the man who saved hundreds of Dutch Jews from deportation to Auschwitz. Philips, unlike most other members of his family, stayed in Nazi-occupied Holland and employed as many Jews as possible at his Vught prison camp factory.
Medal of honour
In 1996, Yad Vashem awarded Philips a special medal given to honour non-Jews who saved the lives of Jews during the Holocaust.
“Frits Philips, in risking his life to save Jews during the Holocaust, showed extraordinary courage in the face of terrible circumstances,” Yad Vashem told Reuters in response to his death.
A book written about the Philips owner two years ago shed a different light on the rescue of almost four hundred Jewish prisoners. The book claims that Philips opened the factory to save his company because the Allies had already bombed Philips factories in Eindhoven and the future of the business was in jeopardy.
According to the New York Times a Dutch war documentation center said that the company played a double role in the war because its factory production contributed to the German war industry as well.
Philips, who was referred to by employees as 'Mr. Frits', will be remembered very fondly by his home city of Eindhoven where he was an avid fan of the local team PSV. In a match last week, the players of PSV all wore armbands in remembrance of the man who never missed a match.
Philips' influence on the company was massive; he promoted the expansion to Asia and Americas and was said to behind many of the company's impressive innovations over the years.
Article published by arrangement with European Jewish Press , a pan-European news agency based in Belgium
