Willem van Bruggen
| Geslacht: | Man | |
| Vader: | Arnoldus van Bruggen | |
| Moeder: | Wytske Popkema | |
| Geboren: | 25 MRT 1922 | |
| Overleden: | 30 MRT 1981 | |
| Aantekeningen: | Last Name: Bruggen van First Name: Willem Date of Birth: 25/03/1922 Date of death: 30/03/1981 Rescuer's fate: survived imprisoned Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Male Place during the war: Boornbergum, Friesland, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Boornbergum, Friesland, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/3576) Late in 1943, after being sheltered by Catherine Valken-de Boer*, Isaac Asscher found refuge with the van Bruggens in Boornbergum, Friesland. Reverend Jetze Heidinga* had sent Isaac to them. Initially, the van Bruggens were unaware that Isaac was Jewish, since young Dutch men were also seeking hideouts in order to evade conscription for forced labor in Germany. However, even after the family discovered that Isaac was a Jew, they had no objections to sheltering him. The van Bruggens were poor farmers motivated by religious and humanitarian principles to save human lives. Isaac formed a warm relationship with the entire van Bruggen family and developed a special connection with their son, Willem, who was the same age as he. The efforts by the van Bruggens to save Isaac were ultimately not successful. On March 24, 1944, the NSB, the Dutch Nazis, surrounded their house and the contingency plan arranged for Isaac's escape could not be implemented. Both Isaac and Willem were arrested, imprisoned, and tortured. Willem returned home six months later, barely recognizable but alive. Wytske kept hoping that Isaac would come back too, but he was being held captive in the Leeuwarden prison, where he tried unsuccessfully to commit suicide. After recovering, Isaac was sent to Westerbork and from there he was transferred to Auschwitz, where he perished in 1945. On March 19, 1987, Yad Vashem recognized Arnoldus van Bruggen, his wife, Wytske van Bruggen-Popkema, and their son, Willem van Bruggen, as Righteous Among the Nations. |
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