History

Jacques Levi Lassen’s inheritance: the Foundation

On June 24, 1957 J.L. Lassen established Stichting Levi Lassen-the Levi Lassen Foundation, of which he was the sole director until the time of his death and to which he bequeathed his full inheritance, including all shares in his company. His loyal adviser and close assistant in this enterprise was Karel van Rijckevorsel, a lawyer and member of the Dutch Parliament’s Lower House, whom he subsequently appointed Secretary of the Foundation. Together, the two men developed Jacques Levi Lassen’s ideas to revamp the old city area surrounding Gedempte Gracht, the former Jewish quarter.

Jacques Levi Lassen died in his beloved city of The Hague, on March 5, 1962, at the age of 78. He was buried in the old Jewish cemetery located not far from the Peace Palace, on Scheveningseweg. Five years later, on 12 October 1967, a special wish of Jacques Levi Lassen was fulfilled when, as part of the inauguration ceremony of the new Levi Lassen building on Gedempte Gracht, the mayor of The Hague unveiled a sculpture designed by Dick Stins. This monument, inscribed with the words "Remember what Amalek did to you... do not forget", constitutes a memorial in honor of the inhabitants of the former Jewish neighborhood of The Hague and, with them, all those who suffered deportation and perished during the Second World War. It was placed in storage for safekeeping while the area was being renovated. The Levi Lassen memorial was replaced on December 11th 2007 on the new C&A building (Gedempte Gracht), thus consolidating an important link between past and future.

Further developments

After the death of Mr Lassen his successors developed the highly successful Martkhof shopping arcade at Gedempte Gracht in The Hague.

The ladies' fashions activities were subsequently discontinued, while the real estate activities were further extended.

These commercial activities have resulted in a further growth of the capital of holding company J.L. Lassen B.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Stichting Levi Lassen. This, too, helped Stichting Levi Lassen to realize its statutory objects with increasing effectiveness.

Jacques Levi Lassen lives on through the Levi Lassen foundation he created, which continues to pursue and realize his ideals. It does so by providing funding to organizations serving the common good and in particular organizations promoting the interests of the Jewish community in the Netherlands and elsewhere.