Righteous unto the nations

Jan Van Zutphen’s family and friends
realised a terrible fate awaited their Jewish
friends and were instrumental in finding
a way to hide the various members of
the Deen family. Jan, who was especially
fond of Marianna, took a significant risk
by hiding her in his house in Hilversum
throughout the War.
After the Nazi defeat and at the time
of the liberation, Erica remembers an
incident when she discovered her mother
in the protection of Jan van Zutphen
and his family at their house in 50
Loosdrechtseweg, Hilversum.
Erica recalls “The following happened when
I was reunited with my mother. I had just
returned from hiding at Sibculo and wanted
to find out what had happened to everyone. I
went immediately to our friends house, that
of Oom Jan in Hilversum and discovered my
mother there in a very anxious state.
She had not realized that this family had
saved her from certain death at the risk of
their own personal safety”.
In writing to Erica, on the 8 February 1996,
Dinnie van de Gouwe-van Zutphen, daughter
of Jan van Zutphen, wrote from Haren with
the following. “Marianna was not wearing a
“Star of David” as otherwise a random visit by
the Nazi’s would have spotted her. I know that
we got real scared once when a few Germans
stopped at the house in Hilversum. Our family
thought that we had been betrayed. Marianna
fled into the kitchen and then to the basement,
which is exactly where the soldiers had to go.
My parents had their own water pump in
the basement, and it is that what they came
to control. They were not looking for Jews in
hiding and they just ignored Marianna. They
may have realised that she was Jewish, but
nothing further happened. They either had no
idea or were good Germans.”
Bernardina (Dinnie) van der Gouwe-van Zutphen daughter of Jan
and Dinnie van Zutphen (1920–2013).
PAGE 19
©2013 Edited and compiled by Martin Moen, Perth, Western Australia.