Walraven van Hall

Walraven "Wally" van Hall
Born	(1906-02-10) February 10, 1906 Netherlands
Died	February 12, 1945(1945-02-12) (aged 39) Haarlem, Netherlands
Occupation(s)	Banker, resistance leader
Known for	Leader of the Dutch resistance bank during World War II

Walraven "Wally" van Hall (10 February 1906 – 12 February 1945) was a prominent Dutch banker and leader within the resistance during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in World War II. He established what became known as the Resistance’s bank, which supplied financial aid to those affected by the Nazi regime and funded various Dutch resistance activities. Van Hall was executed by German forces in Haarlem shortly before the conclusion of the war and was interred at the Erebegraafplaats Bloemendaal.

Early life

Walraven van Hall was born into a notable Dutch family and initially pursued training as a merchant marine officer; however, he was disqualified due to poor eyesight. In 1929, he relocated to New York City, where his brother, later Amsterdam’s Mayor Gijs van Hall, assisted him in obtaining employment with a Wall Street firm. This opportunity introduced him to banking, and upon returning to the Netherlands, he embarked on a career as a banker and stockbroker.

World War II

Following the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940, Van Hall played a crucial role in creating a fund designed to support families of merchant sailors stranded overseas. Utilizing his banking knowledge and guarantees from the Dutch government based in London, he broadened fundraising initiatives to back multiple resistance organizations, earning him the moniker "banker to the resistance."

One significant funding strategy involved the clandestine appropriation of assets from De Nederlandsche Bank (the Dutch National Bank). With authorization from the government-in-exile, Van Hall and his brother managed to secure as much as 50 million Dutch guilders—roughly equivalent to half a billion euros in 2010 terms. They achieved this by fabricating bank bonds that were exchanged for genuine ones, enabling them to withdraw cash undetected by Meinoud Rost van Tonningen, the bank’s president and an influential Dutch Nazi.

Additionally, Van Hall raised funds by borrowing money from affluent Dutch citizens, issuing them invalid old stock certificates as proof of their investment with promises of reimbursement after the war.

By 1944, Walraven had assumed leadership of the NSF (National Support Fund) and coordinated various resistance groups through networks known as Kern ("Nucleus") and Driehoek ("Triangle"). The NSF provided financial backing for different resistance factions and supported underground newspapers including Het Parool, Trouw, and Vrij Nederland.

Nicknames

Within resistance circles, Van Hall used several pseudonyms to conceal his identity. He was called the Olieman (The Oilman) for his talent in mediating conflicts among groups. Other aliases included Barends, Oom Piet (Uncle Pete), with Van Tuyl (or Van Tuyll) being his primary code name.

Courier

His designated courier was Hanneke Ippisch, author of Sky: a True Story of Courage during World War II. She arranged secure meeting places every Friday for resistance leaders.

Arrest

On 27 January 1945, one such meeting spot was compromised due to a captured resistance member who mistakenly assumed others would not attend. Although German authorities suspected a financial coordinator within the resistance network, they failed to identify Van Hall himself. Earlier that month, Teus van Vliet—a founding member of the resistance—was betrayed by collaborator Johan van Lom and under torture disclosed key figures including Van Hall.

Execution and interment

Van Hall was put to death in Haarlem together with seven fellow resistance fighters as a reprisal for the killing of a high-ranking police official. Following the conclusion of the war, he was laid to rest at the Erebegraafplaats Bloemendaal (Cemetery of Honour) located in Overveen.

Distinctions and honors

After his death, Van Hall received the Dutch Cross of Resistance (Verzetskruis) and was also awarded the United States' Medal of Freedom with Gold Palm. In 1978, Israel honored him as "Righteous Among The Nations" in recognition of his support and financial assistance to approximately 800 to 900 Jews who were concealed during the conflict.

To commemorate his contributions to the resistance, a memorial was unveiled in autumn 2010 near the headquarters of the Dutch Central Bank, at Frederiksplein 40 in Amsterdam-Centrum.

In popular culture

The Resistance Banker (Bankier van het Verzet), a 2018 Dutch World War II drama directed by Joram Lürsen and featuring Barry Atsma portraying Van Hall, dramatizes his role in funding the Dutch resistance throughout the Second World War.

External links

• Website dedicated to Wally van Hall (In Dutch)
• Site maintained by historians.