Dirk Boersma
| Geslacht: | Man | |
| Vader: | Hendrik Boersma | |
| Moeder: | Zwaantje Kooistra | |
| Geboren: | 1926 | Foudgum, Westdongeradeel |
| Aantekeningen: | Boersma Dirk Personal Information Last Name: Boersma First Name: Dirk Rescuer's fate: survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Male Place during the war: Foudgum, Friesland, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Foudgum, Friesland, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/3435) Commemoration Date of Recognition: 11/09/1986 Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Tree Ceremony organized by Israeli diplomatic delegation in: The Hague, Netherlands Ceremony held in Yad Vashem: Yes Rescued Persons Windmuller, Thea Mainzer, Helene Rescue Story Boersma, Hendrik & Zwaantje (Kooistra) & Dirk & Jan In April 1943 the Germans ordered 18-year-old Helene Mainzer to report for deportation to a so-called labor camp. Through contacts with an underground group, Helene and her friend Mirjam Cohen (later Seligman) were taken to a temporary address in the city until Helene was relocated to the home of the Boersma family in the village of Foudgum, Friesland. Hendrik and Zwaantje Boersma did not tell anybody that she was hidden in their home, fearing that her dark complexion would give her away as a Jew. Helene was given a room in the attic where she stayed for her entire period in hiding. A special hiding place was constructed inside a closet where she hid whenever anyone visited the house. The Boersmas took care of all of Helene's needs and tried to make her living conditions as decent as possible. Besides Helene, Hendrik and Zwaantje also hid Thea Windmuller until, against her hosts' better judgement, she insisted on joining her boyfriend, who was hiding in Amsterdam. Some time later Hendrik and Zwaantje heard that Thea had been arrested and assumed (rightly) that she had been deported too. Since Thea had kept a diary of her time in hiding that mentioned the Boersmas and Helene, Helene was forced to leave her shelter and moved to another village in Friesland. The Boersma family---Hendrik, Zwaantje, and their two sons, Dirk and Jan---were all involved in the decision to give refuge to the two Jewish women, even though they were all fully aware of the risks involved. After the war, Helene immigrated to Israel but maintained contact with her wartime rescuers. On September 11, 1986, Yad Vashem recognized Hendrik Boersma and his wife, Zwaantje Boersma-Kooistra, and their sons, Dirk and Jan, as Righteous Among the Nations. |
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