Paul Gustave Sidonie Guermonprez (December 28, 1908 – June 10, 1944) was a Belgium–born Dutch photographer,

graphic designer A graphic designer is a practitioner who follows the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming ...

, and a

Dutch resistance The Dutch resistance () to the History of the Netherlands (1939–1945), German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized as non-violent. The primary organizers were the Communist Party of the Netherlands, C ...

fighter during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Early life and education

Paul Guermonprez was born 28 December 1908 in

Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...

, Belgium. His family fled during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, eventually resettling in the Netherlands. Guermonprez attended the De Suikerschool Amsterdam, after primary school. From 1929 to 1932, he worked on a sugar plantation in the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

(now

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

). In 1932, he attended

Bauhaus Dessau Bauhaus Dessau, also Bauhaus-Building Dessau, is a building-complex in Dessau-Roßlau. It is considered the pinnacle of pre-war modern design in Europe and originated out of the dissolution of the Weimar School and the move by local politic ...

in Germany before the schools closure, studying with photographer

Walter Peterhans Walter Peterhans (12 June 1897 – 12 April 1960) was a German photographer best known as a teacher and course leader of photography at the Bauhaus from 1929 until 1933, and at the Reimann School in Berlin under Hugo Häring. In the 1930s, Peterh ...

. In 1933, Guermonprez moved back to the Netherlands because of the rise in

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

. After moving to Amsterdam he worked as a

Commercial art Commercial art is the art of creative services, referring to art created for commercial purposes, primarily advertising. Commercial art uses a variety of platforms (magazines, websites, apps, television, etc.) for viewers with the intent of promo ...

ist, founded his advertising company ''Co-op 2'', and he taught classes at the recently established New Art School, Amsterdam (Nieuwe Kunstschool, Amsterdam). In 1939, he married textile artist

Trude Guermonprez Trude Guermonprez (born Gertrud Emilie Jalowetz; 1910 1976), was a German-born American textile arts, textile artist, designer and educator, known for her tapestry landscapes. Her Bauhaus-influenced disciplined abstraction for hand woven textile ...

Career and World War II

When war broke out in 1939, he was drafted as an officer in the Dutch army. By 1940, Germany occupied the Netherlands, and Guermonprez was no longer in military service. Due to the Nederlandsche Kultuurkamer, an institute enforced by the German Nazis that required creative professionals to register their activities, Guermonprez closed his company ''Co-op 2'' in 1942 in protest. For three weeks in 1941 he was arrested. From 4 May 1942 to 30 July 1943 he was held hostage in the

Kamp Sint-Michielsgestel Kamp Sint-Michielsgestel was an ilag that was set up by the German occupiers during World War II in the Ruwenberg boarding school and the Beekvliet minor seminary in Sint-Michielsgestel. History Notable hostages On 4 May 1942, Kamp Sint-Mich ...

. After his conditional release, he and his Jewish wife, Trude Jalowetz, went into hiding with the help of the Dutch resistance. They fled to Maria Helena Friedlander (nee Bruhn), a German woman, wife of

Henri Friedlaender Henri Friedlaender (; 1904–1996) was an Israeli typographer and book designer. He co-founded the Hadassah Printing School and served as the first director of the school. Early life He was born in Lyon, France France, officially the Fre ...

. She hid them with other fugitives in the attic of her house in Wassenaar, South Holland.

Death

He was arrested in 1944 and executed on 10 June 1944 in Overveen. After the war, Guermonprez was buried in the Dutch Honorary Cemetery Bloemendaal (

Erebegraafplaats Bloemendaal The Erebegraafplaats Bloemendaal, or Dutch Honorary Cemetery Bloemendaal, is a World War II final resting place in Zuid-Kennemerland National Park in Bloemendaal, Netherlands. Located on the top of a dune, it can be reached by a small path from ...

). He was awarded the

Dutch Cross of Resistance The Verzetskruis 1940–1945 (English: ''Cross of Resistance 1940–1945'') is a decoration for valour in the Netherlands. Instituted on May 3, 1946, it was awarded in recognition of the individual courage shown in resistance against the ...

(Verzetskruis 1940–1945) posthumously on 9 May 1946. The

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (; Municipal Museum Amsterdam), colloquially known as the Stedelijk, is a museum for modern art, contemporary art, and design located in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

has many of his photography works in their permanent collection.

References

External links

Paul Guermonprez
ARTindex Lexicon Online {{DEFAULTSORT:Guermonprez, Paul 1908 births 1944 deaths Dutch resistance members Dutch people executed by Nazi Germany Recipients of the Dutch Cross of Resistance Photographers from Amsterdam Belgian emigrants to the Netherlands Royal Netherlands Army personnel of World War II Royal Netherlands Army officers People from Ghent Bauhaus alumni