He Hunted for the SS, Then Escaped in a Coffin: Dries Riphagen

By World History

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Dries Riphagen was one of the most notorious collaborators in the German-occupied Netherlands, a criminal whose activities during the Second World War left a lasting stain on Dutch history. Nicknamed “the Dutch Al Capone” for his connections to organized crime and his lavish lifestyle, Riphagen used the chaos of war to build a fortune while working closely with Nazi authorities. This documentary examines the life of a man who combined criminal ambition with collaboration and became one of the most feared figures in occupied Amsterdam. Born in Amsterdam in 1909, Riphagen spent his early years in a troubled family environment before becoming involved in criminal networks. By the time Germany occupied the Netherlands in May 1940, he was already well acquainted with the underworld. The occupation offered new opportunities, and Riphagen quickly established ties with the SD, the intelligence service of the SS and the Nazi Party. As anti-Jewish measures intensified, he played a role in locati

Tags: World History, Dries Riphagen, netherlands in ww2, World War 2, german bombing of rotterdam, Rotterdam WW2, Heinrich Himmler, Holland WW2, world war 2 in the netherlands, german invasion of netherlands, when did germany invade the netherlands, liberation of the netherlands ww2, Engelbert Dollfuss, Second World War, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Dutch Al Capone, National Socialist Dutch Workers' Party, Mauthausen concentration camp, Westerbork, Vought