Chaim Jaschua (Jaschna) Hermer, son of Hanah Hirschfeld and Hirsch Hermer, was born on 12 November 1882 in Libau / Liepaja (Latvia), registered in Rotterdam on 26 June 1907 and married the Roman Catholic Elizabeth Theodora van Zanten (Rotterdam, 31 March 1887) on 24 April 1922, in the same year in which he was naturalized as a Dutch citizen on 22 December. The couple lived at Mathenesserlaan 479a.
In his first years in Rotterdam, Chaim worked as an office clerk. During this period, he mastered Dutch. During this period, he first lived with the De Reeder family at Gedempte Botersloot 70 and from May 1912 at Diergaardelaan with the widow De Wit and continued to board there after she moved to Henegouwerlaan 51. Little else is known about Chaim’s first years in Rotterdam. Elizabeth was the daughter of skipper Willem van Zanten and Johanna Urff. That family lived at Baan 91 from 1893 and Elizabeth grew up in that part of the city. In May 1908, Elizabeth left home and boarded at Nieuwe Haven 152, Boekhorststraat, Schiekade and Noordplein and later at Vijverhofstraat 15 b. At some of these addresses, she lived with her parents again. It is not possible to determine how Elizabeth and Chaim met.
Whether it was the contacts with his father-in-law, who was a skipper after all, or whether Chaim came up with the idea of a grain elevator in another way, together with others, is not known, but he was involved. A grain elevator can be compared to a large vacuum cleaner with which the grain was unloaded from seagoing vessels and immediately ‘pumped’ to inland vessels. It was an innovative solution that saved time and ensured that less grain was lost during loading and unloading.
The first grain elevator in the Netherlands came ‘op Zuid’ at the Maashaven in 1910. It was a great success. In 1913, 96% of the transshipment of grain took place via the elevators. At the same time, there was also a lot of social unrest surrounding the introduction, as this innovation meant that fewer staff were needed and therefore more people became unemployed. Chaim worked his way up in this sector.
Internationale Controle Maatschappij
He became director of the International Control Company (ICM), which was established in Rotterdam on 31 March 1919. This company provided control over grains, seeds, minerals and other trade items in all ports. In May 1919, the company was established at Baan 39. The company was a subsidiary of the Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) from Geneva. This company was founded in 1878 in the French port city of Rouen by Henri Goldstuck (ca. 1856 – ca. 1929), a Jewish immigrant from Latvia.
Comité van Graanhandelaren (Committee of Grain Traders)
In 1872, the year of the opening of the Nieuwe Waterweg and the start of the rapid growth of the port of Rotterdam, the Committee of Grain Traders was founded. In 1914, the Grain House at Wijnhaven 62 was built for this organization and the ICM, where grain samples were tested in the laboratory. In 1930, the ICM moved to Boompjes 70 a . The ICM remained a major player until the Second World War.
Divorce
The marriage of Elizabeth and Chaim ended in divorce on 25 October 1940.
In the same year, Chaim remarried Elisabeth Maria Henrica Augusta Ter Bruggen Hugenholtz (Malang, 4 October 1893 – Wassenaar, 4 August 1984) to whom he remained married until his death on 26 January 1961 in Wassenaar. He was buried at the cemetery of the Reformed church in Wassenaar.
War
The ICM was a company under Jewish management. In 1942, a Verwalter was appointed and the Jewish management was taken away from the company, which was located on the Rochussenstraat during the war. The temporary Verwalter was Ludwig Mohr. In 1943, the company was ‘amtlich liquidiert’. Chaim survived the war, which was possible due to his mixed marriage, although that was certainly no guarantee. After the war, the company made a fresh start and established itself on the Van Vollenhovenstraat 50 in August 1945.
sources:
Chaim Jashua Hermer, Stadsarchief Rotterdam, 494-03 Archief van de Gemeentesecretarie Rotterdam, afdeling Bevolking: bevolkingsboekhouding van Rotterdam en geannexeerde gemeenten, inventarisnummer 851-186.
Chaim Jashua Hermer, Stadsarchief Rotterdam, 999-06 Burgerlijke Stand Rotterdam, huwelijksakten, inventarisnummer 1922f.
Chaim Jashua Hermer, Stadsarchief Rotterdam, 494-03 Archief van de Gemeentesecretarie Rotterdam, afdeling Bevolking: bevolkingsboekhouding van Rotterdam en geannexeerde gemeenten, inventarisnummer 851-186.
Elizabeth Theodora van Zanten, Stadsarchief Rotterdam, 494-03 Archief van de Gemeentesecretarie Rotterdam, afdeling Bevolking: bevolkingsboekhouding van Rotterdam en geannexeerde gemeenten, inventarisnummer 485.
Elizabeth Theodora van Zanten, Stadsarchief Rotterdam, 494-03 Archief van de Gemeentesecretarie Rotterdam, afdeling Bevolking: bevolkingsboekhouding van Rotterdam en geannexeerde gemeenten, inventarisnummer 851-549.
Marian Groeneweg, Internationale Controle Maatschappij (ICM), Ons Rotterdam, 45e jaargang nummer 1 2023, 44-45.
NIOD, 177c Internationale Controle Maatschappij.
Rochussenstraat, Licht in ruim 40 inbraken Wat verhoor kan opleveren. “Rotterdamsch nieuwsblad”. Rotterdam, 03-09-1942, p. 1. Geraadpleegd op Delpher op 17-03-2023, https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011002939:mpeg21:p001.
Wijnhaven 62, Advertentie. “Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant”. Rotterdam, 16-02-1912, p. 4. Geraadpleegd op Delpher op 17-03-2023, https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010032040:mpeg21:p004.
Burial, email A. Fens d.d. 13 January 2025
illustrations:
Stadsarchief Rotterdam, beeld en geluid, PBK-2719 Schepen in de haven, in het midden een rijnaak, op de achtergrond een graanelevator. 1920. Prentbriefkaarten verzameld door het Stadsarchief Rotterdam, toegangsnummer 4029.
Advertentie. “Scheepvaart”. Rotterdam, 06-05-1919, p. 1. Geraadpleegd op Delpher op 17-03-2023, https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMKB19:000730105:mpeg21:p00001.
GERECHTELIJKE AANKONDIGINGEN “Nederlandsche staatscourant”. ‘s-Gravenhage, 02-11-1940. Geraadpleegd op Delpher op 17-03-2023, https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMKB08:000169455:mpeg21:p004.
Familiebericht. “Algemeen Handelsblad”. Amsterdam, 30-01-1961. Geraadpleegd op Delpher op 17-03-2023, https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBNRC01:000036633:mpeg21:p008.
Chaim Joshua Hermer, met dank aan A. Fens (email d.d. 13 januari 2024)
published:
17 March 2023
last amendment:
17 March 2023