Teunis Brink

Geslacht:	Man
Vader:	Willem Brink
Moeder:	Merrigje van der Wal
Geboren:	2 Jan 1911	Groot Ammers
Overleden:	8 Dec 1990
Beroep:		timmerman, uitvoerder van bouwwerken
Aantekeningen:	Last Name: Brink First Name: Teunis Date of Birth: 02/01/1911 Date of death: 08/12/1990 Rescuer's fate: survived imprisoned Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Male Profession: CONSTRUCTION WORKER Place during the war: Amsterdam, Noordholland, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Amsterdam, Noordholland, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/1838) When war broke out Kitty Bilderbeek was almost 18 years old and had just begun studying nursing at the Jewish hospital in Rotterdam. In February 1943, the hospital personnel were arrested and deported, but Kitty, as a nurse, was released and immediately decided to go into hiding. In May 1943 she was taken to Teunis and Aagje Brink in Amsterdam. The Brinks were a young family with two children at the time, aged four and five, with a third born during the war. Teunis was a construction worker who was out of the house most of the day. The family lived in a small apartment in a working class neighborhood in the eastern part of the city. The children were warned not to talk about Kitty to anyone, and they never did. Teunis and Aagje did everything to make Kitty feel at home, and, for her part, she helped out around the house. During the hunger winter of 1944--1945, when there was no water or electricity and barely any food, the Brinks had to go on foraging expeditions to find food among the farmers. Kitty's presence was made even more perilous by the fact that a German woman and her 19-year-old daughter lived one floor above the Brinks and German officers visited them on a daily basis. From time to time the officers knocked on the Brinks' door and Kitty immediately hid in a closet in one of the bedrooms. Teunis, Aagje, and Aagje's brother, who was hiding a Jewish woman in his house across the street, were all involved in underground activities and considered hiding Jews in their homes the most natural thing to do, with no thought of any financial remuneration from them. The underground provided ration cards and money when needed. Teunis, who was involved in Jo Kars'es group, was arrested once and badly beaten but managed to escape and return home. Aagje's brother tried to help Kitty's parents, but they were all seized and deported. None of them survived. Teunis and Aagje hid Kitty for over two years, until the war ended in May 1945, and they all remained in touch afterwards, even after Kitty immigrated to Israel. The Brinks named their fourth child Kitty. On May 6, 1980, Yad Vashem recognized Teunis Brink and his wife, Aagje Brink-Kortlever, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner:	Aagje Kortlever	geb. 28 OKT 1913
Huwelijk:	29 Juni 1934	Groot Ammers