Barend "Ben" Bril (16 July 1912 – 11 September 2003) was a Dutch

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

who competed in the 1928 Amsterdam Summer Olympics in Flyweight boxing, and became an accomplished European boxing referee and judge in the 1960s.

Early life and career

Bril was born in Valkenburgstraat, a poor section of

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

to Jewish parents Abraham Bril and Klaartie Moffie on 16 July 1912. He was one of six children of a struggling family supported primarily by their father's work as a fisherman. Bril competed in the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

at age 15 in his home town, finishing fifth in the flyweight class, just out of medal contention. In his Olympic competition, after a first round bye, he defeated Myles McDonagh of Ireland, before losing to Buddy Lebanon of South Africa. Four years later he was barred from the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

because the Dutch Olympic Committee was led by a member of the Dutch

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

party. He later boycotted the 1936 Games in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

."Obituaries, Ben Bril", ''The Newark Advocate'', Newark, Ohio, pg. 4, 14 September 2003 In his boxing career before the war, beginning in 1928, he won the Dutch Amateur National Championship a total of eight times. As a high point in his amateur career, he won a

gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

at the 1935 Maccabiah Games, held in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Internment at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp

During the German occupation of the Netherlands after 1940, Bril, his wife Celia and son were forced to go into hiding above what was once his family's bakery, but in 1942 were arrested by Nazi sympathiser, Jan Olij a neighbor, whose father, Sam Olij, had boxed together with Bril in the 1928 Olympics. Around 1942, he was first sent to the Vught Transit Camp, a concentration camp in Southern Holland with deplorable conditions, located Southeast of his home in Amsterdam. Once deported to Northern Germany and interned at the

Bergen-Belsen concentration camp Bergen-Belsen , or Belsen, was a Nazi concentration camp in what is today Lower Saxony in northern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle. Originally established as a prisoner of war camp, in 1943, parts of it became a concent ...

, Bril was able to get a job, and then a promotion to the position of Blockälteste, which put him in charge of his barrack. Looking to survive, he was selected to box in the camp, where he let known German boxers defeat him. Four of his brothers and a sister died in the camps. All but one of the siblings were married with children. Ben, his wife, and his younger brother Herrie survived the war. Herrie Bril died in Rotterdam on 6 August 1966.

Work as a referee

From 1963-74, Bril found fame working as a boxing referee for many important matches throughout Europe. Most of the fights he refereed were title fights for the European Boxing Union, that brought him to matches in Berlin, Vienna, Madrid, Paris, London, and throughout Europe. Bril also refereed Olympic fights, overseeing the matches of George Frazier at the

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this ho ...

in Tokyo, George Foreman at the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

in Mexico City, and for

Teófilo Stevenson Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence (29 March 1952 – 11 June 2012) was a Cuban amateur boxer who competed from 1966 to 1986. He won the Val Barker Trophy (1972) and was honored with the Olympic Order (1987). Stevenson is one of only three boxers to w ...

a Cuban heavyweight, who competed in boxing in three Summer Olympics from 1972-1980. He also refereed boxing matches for the 1973 Maccabiah Games. Bril and his wife Celia had one child Ab Ben, who lives in

Zandvoort Zandvoort () is a municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach. It is bordered by coastal dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park and the Amsterdam ...

with his wife Wilma. Ab Ben and Wilma have one son, Benno, who also lives in Zandvoort. Bril died on 11 September 2003, at the age of 91 at the Beth Shalom Retirement Home in

, and was buried at the Jewish cemetery of Muiderberg. He is still considered an heroic figure in the Netherlands. After his death, the Ben Bril Memorial Boxing Gala, which continues today, was inaugurated to honor his memory. The event features a series of boxing matches and is held every October in Amsterdam.Silver, Mike (2016). ''Stars of the Ring'', Published by Rowman and Littlefield, Los Angeles, p. 99. In October 2006 Bril's biography ''Ben Bril - Davidsster als Ereteken'', by Ed van Opzeeland was published. The English translation of the title is ''Ben Bril - Decorated with a Star of David''. The Dutch swimmer

Erica Terpstra Erica Georgina Terpstra (born 26 May 1943) is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Terpstra, a swimmer by occupation, participated in the 1960 and 1964 Summer Olympics. She was elected as a Member ...

handed out the first copy of the book to Ben's only son Albert Bril.

Select fights officiated by Bril

, - , align="center" colspan=8, Primarily EBU European Bouts, 1963-73 , - , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Result , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Opponents , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Date , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Location , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Duration , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Notes , - , Aldridge Won , Laslo Papp vs. George Aldridge , 6 Feb 1963 , Vienna , 15 Round TKO , EBU Eur. Middle Title , - , Rollo Won , Minmoun Ben Ali vs. Pierro Rollo , 19 Jul 1963 , Madrid , 15 Round , EBU Eur. Bantam Title , - , Preberg Won , Ivan Prebeg vs. Karl Mildenberger , 15 Jun 1966 , Frankfort, Ger. , 15 Round , EBU Eur. Heavy Title , - , Walker Won , Billy Walker vs. Karl Mildenberger , 21 Mar 1967 , London, UK , 8 Round TKO , EBU Eur. Heavy Title , - , Swift Won , Sandro Mazzinghi vs. Wally Swift , 9 Sep 1967 , Milan, Ital. , 6 Round TKO , EBU Super Welter Title , - , Zech Won , Karl Mildenberger vs. Gerhard Zech , 30 Dec 1967 , Berlin, Ger. , 15 Round , EBU Europ. Heavy Title , - , Tomasoni Won , Henry Cooper vs. Pierro Tomasoni , 13 Mar 1969 , Rome, Ital. , 5th Round KO , EBU Europ. Heavy Title , - , Duran Won , Tom Boggs vs. Carlo Duran , 11 Sep 1969 , Copenhagen , 15 Rounds , EBU Europ. Middle Title , - , Bossi Won , Yohann Orsolics vs. Carmello Bossi , 9 Apr 1970 , Vienna, Aus , 15 Rounds , EBU Europ. Welter Title , - , Fullmer Won , Tom Bogs vs. Don Fullmer , 11 Feb 1971 , Copenhagen , 10 Rounds , , - , Duivenbode Won , Ruddi Lubbers vs. Bas Van Duivenbode , 17 May 1971 , Amsterdam , 12 Round , Dutch Heavy Title , - , Duran Won , Jean Claude Bouttier vs. Carlo Duran , 9 June 1971 , Paris , 15 Rounds UD , EBU European Middle Title
Bril acted as Judge , - , Legra Won , Jose Legra vs. Tommy Glencross , 17 May 1972 , Birmingham, England , 15 Rounds SD , For Europ. Feather title"Legra Retains Boxing Title", ''Calgary Herald'', Calgary, Alberta, Canada, pg. 29, 18 May 1972 , - , Franco Zurlo Won , Franco Zurlo vs. Johnny Clark , 17 April 1973 , London, UK , 15 Round , Vac. EBU Europ. Bantam Title

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bril, Ben 1912 births 2003 deaths Bergen-Belsen concentration camp survivors Boxers at the 1928 Summer Olympics Boxers at the 1935 Maccabiah Games Dutch Jews Jewish boxers Jewish Dutch sportspeople Maccabiah Games boxers of the Netherlands Maccabiah Games gold medalists for the Netherlands Olympic boxers of the Netherlands Boxers from Amsterdam Dutch male boxers Flyweight boxers