Josephus Cornelis van der Heijden

Geslacht: Man
Vader: Willem van der Heijden
Moeder: Johanna van Kerkoerle
Geboren: 20 MRT 1887 Goirle
Overleden: 30 Sept 1945 Bergen-Belsen, Duitsland
Religie: Rooms Katholiek
Aantekeningen: Last Name: Heijden van der
First Name: Josephus
Date of Birth: 20/03/1887
Date of death: 25/04/1945
Rescuer's fate: murdered camp inmate
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Religion: ROMAN CATHOLIC
Gender: Male
Profession: TOBACCO MERCHANT
Place during the war: Hilvarenbeek, Noordbrabant, The Netherlands ; Bergen Belsen, Camp, Germany ; Neuengamme, Camp, Germany
Rescue Place: Hilvarenbeek, Noordbrabant, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding Illegal transfer
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/1229)
Eugene van der Heijden was one of the founders of the Amsterdam-Paris Line, a group led from France by John Weidner*. The Amsterdam-Paris Line collaborated with the Dutch military police (the constabularies) to save Jews, Allied pilots, French prisoners of war, and Dutch students by escorting them across the border to Belgium, France, or Switzerland. It has been estimated that between May 1942 and November 1943, the group saved about 150 people, without ever accepting financial remuneration. (The Dutch constabularies were instrumental in obtaining Belgian identity cards, which they confiscated from Belgians illegally crossing the border into Holland, and also in helping the Resistance to cross the border with the refugees.) Eugene was the son of Josephus and Elisabeth van der Heijden of Hilvarenbeek, North Brabant, near the Belgian border. They were a Catholic family and Josephus, Eugene, and his two elder brothers, Gustaaf and Marcel, were all involved in the Resistance. Although they were only small-scale tobacco merchants, the family owned a large house in this border town, which had been open to refugees since the beginning of the war. When, in 1942, the persecution of Dutch Jewry intensified, Eugene expanded his activities to Amsterdam, from where he guided Jews via Hilvarenbeek to Switzerland. Among the many people he saved in this way was the famous Dutch singer, Re Koster, and her husband. In November 1943, Eugene was forced to cease his illegal activities and go into hiding with his brother Willy, where he remained until after the war. In the meantime, Josephus, Gustaaf, and Marcel were taken to Bergen-Belsen and Neuengamme in Germany, where they perished. Throughout this period, Elisabeth was responsible for ensuring that a continuous flow of refugees passed through her home on their way to Belgium. The van der Heijden family was renowned for its hospitality. Even in times of scarcity, they managed to supply food to the illegal guests who temporarily sought shelter in their home on their way to the border.
On June 28, 1978, Yad Vashem recognized Dr. Eugene van der Heijden as Righteous Among the Nations.
On April 2, 1995, Yad Vashem recognized Josephus van der Heijden, his wife, Elisabeth van der Heijden, and two of their sons, Gustaaf and Marcel van der Heijden, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Elisabeth Apollonia Catharina Peeters geb. 10 MRT 1893 overl. 28 Juli 1951
Huwelijk:
Kinderen:
  Marcel Frans Jan Benedikt van der Heijden Male geb. 8 Jan 1915
  Eugène Joanna Benedictus van der Heijden Male geb. 14 Juni 1920 overl. 23 Apr 2003
  Lisette Helena Cornelia van der Heijden Male geb. 4 Juli 1921
  Gustaaf Henricus Josephus van der Heijden Male geb. 11 Feb 1923
  Willy Gabriel Johannes van der Heijden Male geb. 5 Nov 1924
  Jozef Marcel Leonardus van der Heijden Male geb. 7 Juni 1926
  Eleana Maria Louisa van der Heijden Male geb. 17 Juni 1931