Hajo Meyer facts for kids

Hajo Meyer (born Hans Joachim Gustav Meyer; 12 August 1924 – 23 August 2014) was a German-born Dutch physicist. He was also a Holocaust survivor and a political activist. He was well-known for his comments about the European Jewish community. He also directed the Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium for many years.

Early Life and Survival

Meyer was born in Bielefeld, Germany. His parents were Therese and Gustav Meyer. His father was a notary who fought in the First World War. Hajo Meyer was Jewish.

When he was 14, his parents sent him from Nazi Germany to the Netherlands. This happened on 4 January 1939, as part of a Kindertransport convoy. This was a special effort to save Jewish children. His parents made this choice after Hajo was no longer allowed to attend school. This happened after an event called Kristallnacht, which was a violent attack against Jewish people.

In 1943, Hajo went into hiding to escape the Nazis. However, he was arrested a year later. He then spent ten months in Auschwitz, a terrible concentration camp. After surviving Auschwitz, he promised himself he would never speak German again. He later broke this promise at a science conference in Amsterdam.

His parents were sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1943. His father passed away there in 1944. His mother, Therese, was then sent to Auschwitz. Hajo's letters with his parents during the war were later published. His older brother, Alfred, also wrote about their experiences during the war.

Life After the War

After the war ended, Meyer went back to the Netherlands. He studied theoretical physics, which is a branch of physics that uses math to explain how the universe works. He became the director of the Phillips Physics Laboratory, also known as NatLab. This is a famous research lab.

After he retired, Hajo Meyer took classes in woodworking. He even built his own violins and violas.

Becoming an Activist

In his later years, Meyer became very involved in politics. He was a director of an organization called A Different Jewish Voice.

In 2003, he wrote a book called Het einde van het Jodendom (The End of Judaism). In this book, he discussed his views on the Holocaust and the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. He believed that it was important to learn from history to prevent future suffering.

Meyer was a member of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. He often spoke about the importance of peace and understanding between different groups of people. He believed that there were many ways to understand Judaism. He encouraged people to follow principles of kindness and peace, like those taught by figures such as Hillel.

He also supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. This movement aims to pressure Israel to change its policies through economic means. In his last interview, during the 2014 Israel-Gaza Conflict, Meyer continued to speak out about his beliefs. He was the first person to sign a statement from 250 Holocaust survivors and their descendants protesting the war.

Ideas on Trauma and History

Hajo Meyer developed an idea based on the work of Hans Keilson. This idea was about "sequential traumatizing." It suggests that Jewish communities often remember many difficult events from their past in special ceremonies. Meyer believed that remembering the Holocaust in certain ways could be used to encourage loyalty to Israel. He thought it was important to understand how past events influence current conflicts.

Death

Hajo Meyer passed away peacefully in his sleep on 23 August 2014. He was 90 years old and died in Heiloo, Netherlands.