Victims of war in Oegstgeest

With the exception of Theo van den Oord, the information previously given has shown that none of the individuals killed in action were from Oegstgeest. One might ask whether any citizen of Oegstgeest had ever felt incensed by German occupation to such an extent that his emotion would incite him into action – even if it meant death. It is also noteworthy that every individual discussed, except Van den Oord, lies buried in the Groene Kerkje cemetery. One might question why this has happened.

However, this is not truly the case. The fact that all of the non-Oegstgeester citizens were buried at the Groene Kerkje is simply because this cemetery not only belongs to the church itself but also serves the community Oegstgeest in general. ‘Foreigners’ were buried there, but in time of war no attention was paid to a dead soldier’s religion.

Tens of people from Oegstgeest died during the war although beyond the borders of Oegstgeest, except for Theo Van der Oord who was buried in the H. Willibrord church cemetery because he was Roman Catholic.

Citizens of Oegstgeest who died during the war as a result of German violence have not been discussed here. Their names have been inscribed on the war monument in the Bos van Wijckerslooth. As has been discussed more extensively in the book Oegstgeest in bange dagen, we can mention seamen Johan Bromelow (Warmonderweg), Joseph van Iterson (Regentesselaan), and Quirinus Kroeze (Van Assendelftstraat) who all were given a burial at sea. We have not mentioned the names of the ‘Engelandvaarders’ who attempted to reach England: Hans Fles (Koninginnelaan) who was arrested on the beach, Jan Bunschoten (Emmalaan) who also was captured quickly, Nico Knijnenburg (from the café now known as ‘De Gouwe’) and Henk de Veer (Hofbrouckerlaan) who tried to escape via Spain but were captured in the Pyrenees mountains, and both Peter Ravelli and Jan Stam (Toorenveltstraat) who tried to reach England via Switzerland but got no farther than France.

They died in Buchenwald, Dachau, Majdanek and Utrecht. People who died in concentration camps in Neuengamme, Bergen-Belsen, Sobibor, Vught, Birkenau, Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Dachau are Marinus Jelier (Terweeweg), the communist Arie van Egmond (De Kempenaerstraat), Aleida Goudsmit (Frederik Hendriklaan), eight members of the Pinto (Warmonderweg) and Schönthal (Regentesselaan) families, Charlotte de Lange (Louise de Colignylaan), Salomon and Truida Zwarenstein (Prins Hendriklaan), as well as twelve mentally handicapped individuals being treated at Endegeest and Rhijngeest.
Simon Buitenom (Haarlemmertrekvaart), Anton Knijnenburg (Nico’s brother) who offered his own life for that of a colleague who had a wife and child, and Jacob van Loenen (Wijttenbachweg) lost their lives in Paderborn, Berlijn-Tegel and Berlijn-Potsdam while working as laborers for the obligatory German ‘Arbeitseinsatz’.

War monument in memory of victims of war from Oegstgeest, in the ‘Bos van Wijckerslooth’.

Naturally one will never forget the resistance fighters from Oegstgeest: Arie Bijl who helped numerous people find shelter underground; ‘Algoede’ Reinier van Kampenhout and his wife Jobje van Kampenhout-Barnhoorn whose noteworthy activities are too numerous to mention here; Jacob Key who was murdered in a most atrocious manner after being arrested while attempting to warn Van Kampenhout; and Theo Talboo who commanded a resistance group and was considered an authority in the resistance world; Albert van der Mey who sabotaged German army vehicles; Ok van der Plas who was a student at Delft and together with his mates committed various raids such as on the railroad; Guus Reitsma who was arrested while preparing a raid on the municipal registry in Amsterdam; and Paul Segaar who was very active for the benefit of individuals in hiding. They were either killed in front of a firing squad or lost their lives in Neuengamme, ‘somewhere in The Netherlands’, The Hague, Amersfoort, Husum-Schwerin, Utrecht, Overveen, and Oraniënburg or Bergen-Belsen. ‘Den Vaderlandt ghetrouwe’ – they remain true to their country, even in death.

Names live on in street names

Names of several resistance fighters live on in street names in Oegstgeest. The Arie Bijllaan, Guus Reitsmahof, Reinier van Kampenhoutlaan, Jacob Keylaan and  Theo Talboolaan contribute to their commemoration.