Gijsbertje Branderhorst
| Geslacht: | Vrouw | |
| Vader: | Adriaan Branderhorst | |
| Moeder: | Pieternella Blankers | |
| Geboren: | 31 Jan 1894 | Meeuwen |
| Overleden: | 15 Apr 1974 | Driebergen |
| Aantekeningen: | Last Name: Colet First Name: Gijsbertje Maiden Name: Branderhorst Date of Birth: 31/01/1894 Date of death: 15/04/1974 Rescuer's fate: survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Female Place during the war: Eindhoven, Noordbrabant, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Eindhoven, Noordbrabant, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/10997) Berthus Colet was a carpenter, specializing in the restoration of old furniture, who lived in a small apartment in the city of Eindhoven (prov. North-Brabant) with his wife Gijsbertje and their daughter Elisabeth, born in 1933. He was employed by Julius Thalmann, (born 6.1.1875 in Bochum, Germany), a German Jew who had fled to the Netherlands in 1938 with his wife Hennie, née Jacobsohn (born 18.3.1892 in Gross Lobke, Germany). They settled in Eindhoven, where Julius opened a second hand furniture store. After the occupation of the Netherlands in May 1940 and the increasing anti Jewish measures, Berthus made it clear to Julius that he could count on him for help. He gave a set of his house keys to Julius, stating that if necessary, he as well as his wife Hennie could come and hide in his home. When, in November 1942, the Thalmanns received their summons to report for work in the East, they indeed went to the home of the Colets instead. As the Thalmanns were known in that area of town, they were not to be seen by anyone and had therefore to stay inside the home at all times. This meant that they became completely dependent on the Colet family for all their basic needs. The Colets shared all they had with the elderly couple. They often passed the evenings playing games together. Berthus brother was able to obtain false food stamps from time to time. The Thalmanns were allocated a small room where they had to stay quiet, especially when the Colets were not at home, since a German officer was living at the immediate neighbors home during most of the war. In January 1944, Gijsbertje informed family and friends that she did not want to celebrate her birthday since there was not enough food to share whereas the real reason was the risk of detection. When some of their friends wanted to surprise her after all, Julius and Hennie narrowly escaped to their room and were not seen by any of the unexpected guests. During the following year, the city of Eindhoven with its Philips factories, was frequently bombed, and most citizens ran to the shelters. Berthus and Gijsbertje however stayed in their home with the Thalmanns, not wanting to leave them behind: If the Thalmanns cannot go, neither will we. We will stay together. Only on September 18, 1944, with the liberation of the city, did Julius and Hennie Thalmann go outside for the first time since their arrival nearly two years earlier. The Thalmanns kept in touch with the Colets, even after they left Eindhoven. Each year on liberation day in September, Hennie Thalmann sent flowers to Berthus and Gijsbertje as a token of their thanks. They also had a tree planted in Israel in the name of Berthus and Gijsbertje stating: In memory of the help you gave us during the dark days of the Nazi occupation. On January 21, 2009, Yad Vashem recognized Berthus Colet and Gijsbertje Colet-Branderhorst as Righteous Among the Nations. In 2014 Jurgen Tromp purchased the Colet home in Eindhoven. When he learned that a Jewish couple was hidden in the home during the Holocaust, he wrote to Yad Vashem, saying that "this piece of history should stay present in my house", and that he was going to hang a copy of the Julius Thalmann's drawing in the room where the couple was hidden. |
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Gezin 1
| Huwelijkspartner: | Berthus Colet | geb. 15 Juli 1895 overl. 19 Nov 1970 |
| Huwelijk: | 8 OKT 1930 | Eethen, Genderen en Heesbeen |