Johannes Bergsma

Geslacht: Man
Vader: Auke Bergsma
Moeder: Germentina Nagel
Geboren: 31 MEI 1929 Schaesberg
Aantekeningen: Bergsma Johannes (1929 - ? )
Personal Information
Last Name: Bergsma
First Name: Johannes
Date of Birth: 31/05/1929
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Male
Place during the war: Amsterdam, Noordholland, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Amsterdam, Noordholland, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Supplying basic goods
Hiding
Other
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/6932)
Commemoration
Date of Recognition: 15/01/1996
Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Wall of Honor
Ceremony organized by Israeli diplomatic delegation in: The Hague, Netherlands
Rescued Persons
Wallach, First name unknown
Wallach, First name unknown
Kurk, Jacob
Wartensleven, Max
Kurk, David
Rescue Story
Bergsma, Auke & Germentina (Nagel) & Johannes
Auke Bergsma and his wife, Germentina, had many Jewish friends before the war through their clothing business in Amsterdam. Auke became aware of Nazi atrocities against the Jews through the contacts he made with German refugees who had started similar businesses in the area. When the deportation of Jews began in 1942, Auke realized immediately what was going to happen and wanted to help. He tried to convince his close friend Samuel Cohen, a tailor, to go into hiding, but Cohen refused. However, Cohen’s daughter, Carolina, and her husband, Jacob Kurk, took Bergsma’s advice and did. In September 1942, Carolina gave birth to a son, David, and the family was forced to find a new hiding place, however, by December 1942, it had also become unsafe for both Carolina and her son and she was forced to part with him. The Bergsmas offered to take care of David. They represented the infant as the child of an unmarried mother and on May 7, 1943, registered him at the Registrar’s Office as Rudolf Bergsma. They proceeded to raise him as their own and to avoid arousing suspicion severed all family ties. On a number of occasions when the Germans came to search the Bergsmas’ house, they would appease them by speaking German. The Bergsmas also tried to make sure that Carolina and Jacob were able to visit their son as much as possible. Jacob would visit their home posing as a door-to-door salesman and Auke and Germentina’s son, Johannes, accompanied Carolina, who was working as a maid, to the house. However, in February 1944, Jacob and Carolina were arrested and sent to Auschwitz. They never returned. After the war, when it became clear that none of David’s family had survived, the Bergsmas adopted him. He lived with them until he married at the age of 28. During the war the Bergsmas also hid a number of other Jews for various periods of time until permanent hideouts could be found for them, among them Mr. and Mrs. Wallach of Amsterdam, Max Rubin, and Max Wartensleven. They also helped Jewish families like the Hofflichs, who were hiding in their own apartments and afraid to go outside, by bringing them food. Johannes would even skip school to deliver supplies to them. Auke and Germentina also sent care packages to friends in Westerbork, delivered illegal papers, and accompanied people to and from their hiding places. They also kept watch at the railroad station to make sure it was safe. In all these activities, the Bergsmas knew they were endangering their own lives to help David Kurk and the others but they felt it was their duty to do so.
On January 15, 1996, Yad Vashem recognized Auke Bergsma, his wife, Germentina Bergsma-Nagel, and their son, Johannes Bergsma, as Righteous Among the Nations.