Henricus Jozef Anthonius Huffener
| Geslacht: | Man | |
| Vader: | Hendrik Huffener | |
| Moeder: | Wilhelmina Maria Merks | |
| Geboren: | 24 Feb 1923 | Utrecht |
| Overleden: | 5 Nov 2006 | Albury, Surrey, Engeland |
| Religie: | Rooms Katholiek | |
| Beroep: | auteur, kunstverzamelaar, schilder, tekenaar | |
| Aantekeningen: | Last Name: Huffener First Name: Henricus Jozef Anthonius Alias: HENK Date of Birth: 24/02/1923 Rescuer's fate: survived forced laborer Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Male Profession: PAINTER (ARTIST) Place during the war: Bilthoven, Utrecht, The Netherlands ; Arnhem, Gelderland, The Netherlands ; Herne, Herne (Arnsberg), Westphalia, Germany Rescue Place: Bilthoven, Utrecht, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Arranging shelter Supplying basic goods File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/7945) The Huffeners, who lived in Bilthoven, Utrecht, had nine children, one of whom, 19-year-old Henricus (Henk), was a long-haired painter who lived and dressed somewhat eccentrically. His acquaintance with Kees Boeke* and Joop Westerweel*, who were connected with the Werkplaats school in Bilthoven, led him to the Resistance. From the day he got involved until the end of the war, he spent his time traveling around the country searching for hiding places for Jews, accompanying them there, and providing them with forged identity papers and ration cards. Together with others he was instrumental in the evacuation of the Hachshara home in nearby Loosdrecht. Amongst the Jews for whom Henk found hiding places were the Da Costa family and Bep and Mani Aalsvel, whom he temporarily sheltered at his parentsÂ’ home in Bilthoven. When a Jewish boy of Austrian origin, whose alias was Jan Boon, needed an operation, Henk rented a cart and took him to the city of Utrecht, where he was treated by, of all people, a surgeon with German sympathies. The enterprise was very dangerous since Jan spoke very little Dutch. Henk and his younger brother, Joep, worked closely together. To look after the Jews in their charge, they required money and ration cards. Joep participated in raids on distribution offices and Henk made welfare collection rounds, calling on wealthy Jews in hiding, such as Kurt Leipziger, who owned a cinema in Berlin, Eddy Salm, a former publisher from Amsterdam, and the philosopher Wolfgang Frommel. To Henk, these eminent Jews represented not only a source of money but also a wonderful underground university. In March 1943, Henk was arrested in the railroad station in Arnhem, Gelderland. After a few weeks of inquiries, during which little progress was made, he was sent to Germany. He escaped en route only to be caught again the next day. This time he was beaten and sent to work at a screw and bolt factory near the town of Herne. Henk arrived home at the end of 1943, ill and malnourished. Since he was in a hurry to resume his underground activities in Amsterdam, friends of his gave him the key to their apartment. They thought that it was empty but it turned out to be occupied by a Jewish violinist and his wife who had settled in without knowing whose apartment it was. They had nothing to eat and, without any ration cards, could not go out to buy anything. They felt that their situation was hopeless and decided to kill themselves. Henk promised to help them but when he woke up the next day he found that they had committed suicide. Inconsolable, he had a nervous breakdown. A doctor provided him with sleeping pills and prescribed a long rest at home, but soon the Germans were on his trail again and he had to go into hiding. After the war, Henk received the Resistance Commemorative Cross and an invalid pension. On July 23, 1998, Yad Vashem recognized Henricus Huffener as Righteous Among the Nations. |
|