page_title: Louis Fles
section_title: Business
hierarchical_section_title: Louis Fles / Business
caption_attribution_description: Museum Wilhelmsbau Klein-Adler typewriter
context_page_description: Levie Jacob "Louis" Fles was a Dutch businessman, activist and author. He is best known for writing and broadcasting against Zionism, Nazism, and organized religion. A self-described freethinker, Fles was a vocal supporter of Humanism and Jewish assimilation. His relationship with the Dutch Social Democratic Workers' Party was more problematic. While he generally supported the ideals of socialism, he wrote extensively about his disagreements with the party as well. After a life filled with personal tragedy and devotion to political and social activism, Fles committed suicide in May 1940, only a few weeks after the German occupation of the Netherlands.
context_section_description: Fles began working in his stepfather's office shortly after completing primary school. Soon, however, he went into business for himself.  He gave lessons in French, English, and German before passing the accounting examination. This allowed him to become a bookkeeper for the Bank of Amsterdam.
  With these experiences as a foundation, Fles soon founded his own company. Fles & Company had many interests, all related to serving the needs of other businesses. These included advertising and publishing, as well as the import and sale of high-end German-made Adler typewriters. The addition of a highly successful line of office furniture helped the company expand and establish branch offices throughout the Netherlands.
  The rise of Nazism in Germany presented both moral and practical problems for the importer of German goods. In 1933, Fles published the brochure Hitler, hervormer of misdadiger? (Hitler, reformer or criminal?) in which he called for a boycott on the importation of all German goods. Fles sold his business and retired in 1934.
caption: Museum Wilhelmsbau, Klein-Adler typewriter
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