Petronella Francisca Maria Franssen

Geslacht: Vrouw
Vader:  
Moeder:  
Aantekeningen: Wijnen Petronella
Personal Information
Last Name: Wijnen
First Name: Petronella
Maiden Name: Fransen
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Female
Place during the war: Sevenum, Limburg, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Sevenum, Limburg, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/2834)
Commemoration
Date of Recognition: 23/02/1984
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
Schimmel, Claire
Rescue Story
Wijnen, Pieter Jan & Petronella (Fransen)
In September 1942, when a local priest asked for his help, Pieter Wijnen decided to work for the Dutch underground in Sevenum, under the leadership of J. J. Hendrikx, alias Ambrosius, the provincial head of the LO. Pieter and his wife, Petronella, who had children, knew that they were putting their family at risk. Nevertheless, Pieter volunteered to obtain and smuggle weapons, smuggle people across the border, and procure transportation, food, and ration cards. Pieter’s main task was to hide Jews, in particular children, whose real names he never knew. Claire Schimmel was 15 years old when he took her into his home, saving her from deportation. Mirjam Waterman was a friend of the Schimmels and one of the founders of the Westerweel* group, and she was the one who urged Claire to go into hiding. Claire arrived at Pieter’s home in September 1943 and was introduced to them as Jo, the name that appeared on her false identity papers. She was represented to the neighbors as a poor girl who had left Amsterdam due to the lack of food and had come to help around the house and help Petronella with her new baby. Claire stayed with the Wijnens until May 1944, when an informant led the Germans to Pieter and he was about to be arrested. Fortunately, both he and Claire escaped, thanks to members of the underground.
On March 3, 1985, Yad Vashem recognized Pieter Wijnen and his wife, Petronella Wijnen-Fransen, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Pieter Jan Wijnen geb. 17 Aug 1907
Huwelijk: XXXX onbekend