Maria Bernardina Engbersen
| Geslacht: | Vrouw | |
| Vader: | Henri Bernard Joseph Engbersen | |
| Moeder: | Truijda Kanger | |
| Geboren: | 3 Juni 1924 | Amsterdam |
| Aantekeningen: | Last Name: Wezel van First Name: Maria Bernardina Maiden Name: Engbersen Date of Birth: 03/06/1924 Rescuer's fate: survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Female 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.31.2/8192) Henri Engbersen was a jeweler in Amsterdam and had had frequent contact with Benjamin van Wezel, a wholesale dealer in gold and silver and one of Henri's suppliers. With the onset of the massive deportations of the Jews in the summer of 1942, Benjamin turned to Henri for temporary shelter during one of the razzias in the city until the tempest was over. The Engbersens, fiercely anti-German, immediately agreed and extended their hospitality by having Benjamin remain in their home in Amsterdam in permanent hiding. The Engbersens were living in the western part of the city with their 18-year-old daughter Maria. Some time later Alfred van Wezel, a diamond dealer, and brother of Benjamin, joined him at the Engbersens when his earlier hiding place became unsafe. When in 1943, the parents, Gershon and Anna van Wezel, had to leave their hiding places, Maria went to pick them up and brought them to her parents' home. There was no financial arrangement. The Engbersens had no food coupons for the four van Wezels, but Maria, who was active in a local underground group managed to get a hold of coupons from time to time, mostly when stolen from distribution offices. Truyda Engbersen did additional shopping in various stores where she knew the owners, from whom she would receive food without coupons. She also went around to farmers to get the necessary extra food items. Only very close relatives of the Engbersens knew about the four van Wezels hiding in their apartment. When friends and strangers came to visit, the van Wezels had to hide in the basement. All four van Wezels stayed with the Engbersens until the liberation in May 1945, and survived the war. In 1948, Maria married Alfred van Wezel. On October 22, 1998, Yad Vashem recognized Henri Engbersen, his wife, Truyda Engbersen-Kanger, and their daughter Maria van Wezel-Engbersen as Righteous among the Nations. |
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