Michel Velleman

Michel Velleman (5 January 1895 – 2 July 1943), known by his stage name Professor Ben Ali Libi, was a Dutch magician who was murdered in the Sobibor extermination camp during World War II. He is remembered in a poem by Dutch poet Willem Wilmink.

Biography Velleman was born in Groningen in the Netherlands and later moved to Amsterdam. He wrote a booklet of simple magic tricks that was published in 1925.

His precise politics are not known, but he supported workers' rights, and gave free magic performances to striking workers during the 1920s. Besides paid work in variety shows, he often performed for charity, including at almshouses. His family was sent through the Westerbork transit camp before arriving at the Sobibor extermination camp. His daughter Aaltje, who had Down syndrome, was murdered at Sobibor in May 1943. Velleman and Anna both died in 1943 at Sobibor. His son Jacques survived the war. Herman van Veen set the poem to music in 2009. The film was released in the Netherlands and shown in international film festivals.