Willem van Brummelen

Geslacht: Man
Vader: Meindert van Brummelen
Moeder: Alijda Hermina van den Hoorn
Geboren: 25 Nov 1907 Nijkerk
Overleden: 18 Apr 1972 onbekend
Aantekeningen: Last Name: Brummelen van
First Name: Willem
Date of Birth: 25/11/1907
Date of death: 18/04/1972
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Male
Organization/ Religious order: Utrechts Kindercomite
Place during the war: Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/4986)
From mid-1942 until summer 1943, Charles Gobes, his sister, and his parents, residents of the city of Utrecht, hid at several different addresses. Charles, aged 14 at the time, was mostly hidden separately from his parents, outside his hometown. In summer 1943, he was taken back to Utrecht, to the home of Willem and Adri van Brummelen, where he remained until the liberation. The Utrecht Kindercomité (The Utrecht Childrens Committee*-UKC) had organized this shelter. The van Brummelens' home was far from ideal as a hiding place---it was located opposite a large German aircraft engine workshop. Although this increased the danger for Jews hidden in the area, from 1942 until the end of the war many were nevertheless sheltered in the van Brummelens' home on the Merwedekade. By the autumn of 1943, there were six Jews hidden there, including two-and-a-half-year-old Izak (Pim) Wijnberg, Bertha (Jet) Basch, and Charles Gobes (whose parents also found refuge there for two weeks after their hideout in nearby Zeist became unsafe). The fugitive children were kept busy indoors all day, sawing and painting wooden figures. Adri's brother and Willem's friend provided the family with the raw materials for the children and the final products were marketed by them too. The Resistance provided the van Brummelens with food coupons and Gerrit even managed to obtain a false identity card for Charles. Willem was a dedicated Resistance activist. He stored arms and ammunition in a small shed, under the coal. In his attic, illegal photography and printing work was done. Willem also succeeded in smuggling at least one Jew out of the infamous Hollandsche Schouwburg in Amsterdam, the assembly point for deportations to Westerbork. In his home, Willem kept the six fugitives hidden in a specially constructed shelter under the floor. Nobody was ever caught there. Christian convictions and their humanitarian principles motivated Willem and Adri to perform these courageous acts.
On September 15, 1991, Yad Vashem recognized Willem van Brummelen and his wife, Adri van Brummelen-van Halem, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Adriana van Halem geb. 7 Apr 1909
Huwelijk: 1 Juni 1933 Utrecht