Cornelis Chardon
Geslacht: | Man | |
Vader: | Joseph Paulus Chardon | |
Moeder: | Marrigje van Dobben | |
Geboren: | 31 Aug 1919 | Delft |
Overleden: | 21 Apr 1945 | Wöbbelin, Landkreis Ludwigslust |
Religie: | Geref. | |
Beroep: | advocaat | |
Aantekeningen: | Last Name: Chardon First Name: Cornelis Alias: KEES Date of death: 04/01/1945 Rescuer's fate: murdered camp inmate Cause of Death: EXHAUSTION Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Religion: CALVINIST Gender: Male Profession: LAWYER Place during the war: Delft, Zuidholland, The Netherlands, Vught, Camp, The Netherlands, Helmstedt Beendorf, Camp, Germany Rescue Place: Delft, Zuidholland, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Supplying basic goods Providing forged documents Arranging shelter File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/64) Cornelis (Kees) Chardon, a young lawyer, was active in the underground, finding shelter for Jews and getting them ration cards and forged identity papers. His office in Delft, South Holland, was often full of clients who came to ask for help to avoid deportaion. One witness reports that on a certain day there were fifteen Jews in his office and Kees found hiding places for all of them. He would travel all over the country to convince people to take in Jewish fugitives and would return with a smile on his face because he could again save Jewish lives. Kees never expected any compensation for his efforts. As a devout Christian and a member of the strict Reformed Church he acted out of religious conviction and love for his fellow man, with the support of his parents, sister, and brother-in-law. At the end of 1943, when Hanna Rodrigues de Miranda was forced to flee, she was told to go to Delft, where Kees met her at the railroad station. He took Hanna to his parents, where she stayed for one night, and then on to a more permanent hiding place. In the spring of 1944, Kees fell into a trap set up by a double agent and was arrested, along with his parents, sister, and brother-in-law. Kees was sent to the Vught camp and just when he thought he was going to be freed he was deported to Helmstedt, Germany. He made a deep impression on his fellow inmates in both camps, giving them courage with his religious conviction and prayers. However, he was not in good health and unable to withstand the physical hardship and died just a few days before the camp was liberated. On May 5, 1964, Yad Vashem recognized Cornelis Chardon as Righteous Among the Nations. |