Willem Arend Cornelis Reesink
| Geslacht: | Man | |
| Vader: | Hendrik Willem Reesink | |
| Moeder: | Geertruida Reiniera van der Leeuw | |
| Geboren: | 23 Feb 1914 | Zutphen |
| Religie: | Ned. Hervormd | |
| Aantekeningen: | Reesink Willem Personal Information Last Name: Reesink First Name: Willem Arend Cornelis Alias: WIM Rescuer's fate: survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Male Place during the war: Brummen, Gelderland, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Brummen, Gelderland, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/2139) Commemoration Date of Recognition: 21/10/1981 Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Tree Ceremony held in Yad Vashem: Yes Rescued Persons Spier, Joseph, Levi Spier, Henri, Louis Rescue Story Reesink, Hendrik Willem & Ida (Bonebakker) & Willem Arend Cornelis Boele van Hensbroek, Marijke Johanna (Reesink) In February 1941, when the Germans rounded up 400 Jews, Hendrik and Ida Reesink invited the youngest son of their friends the Spiers, Henri Louis, to hide in their home, the Spaensweerd, in Brummen, Gelderland. In November 1942, Henri and his brother Joseph Levie tried to reach England via Belgium, France, and Spain, but the escape route to Antwerp had fallen through. The brothers therefore returned to Holland, where they were both invited to shelter with the Reesinks. The brothers accepted the offer and took up residence in a room on the first floor of the gardeners house, not far from the main building. Hendrik and Ida insisted on complete secrecy---even their two younger children never knew that there were Jews hidden in their home. However, their two elder children, Willem (Wim) and Marijke (later Boele van Hensbroek), did know. These four family members did everything possible to make life easy for their guests, whose daily routine consisted of reading, helping with household chores, and listening to the radio in order to prepare a daily news bulletin on the war situation. It also became necessary to involve the gardener, Mr. Knoppert, who lived in the same house, and his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Knoppert, who acted as the housekeeper. It is also probable that at least some of the kitchen staff in the main house suspected that something was going on. From May through August 1943, Hendrik was detained in the Vught concentration camp. Throughout this period, Ida, Wim, and Marijke courageously continued to take care of the Jews and never pressured them to leave. In the winter of 1944--1945, German soldiers were billeted in the front room of the house and the Spier brothers moved to the attic. The Spier brothers stayed with the Reesinks until the liberation and remained in close contact with each other afterward. On October 21, 1981, Yad Vashem recognized Hendrik Willem Reesink, his wife, Ida Reesink-Bonebakker, and their son Willem Arend Cornelis Reesink and daughter Marijke Johanna Boele van Hensbroek-Reesink as Righteous Among the Nations. |
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