Dongen van Adri

Molewijk, Martina Adriana Dongen van, Adri During the war, Martina Molewijk of Rockanje, South Holland, took care of more than 30 Jewish children by hiding them in an old age home that she ran together with 18-year-old Adri van Dongen. Aunt Martje, as she became known, pretended that the children were not Jewish and had been sent from various parts of the country to rest and regain their health. Although the home was hidden in a forest, Aunt Martje regularly instructed the children what to do in case of danger. Many times her plans had to be implemented. When a visitor came, Adri took the Jewish children to the forest and hid them until the danger passed. Among the children that stayed with Aunt Martje, were members of the Swelheim family---nine-year-old Tobias, eight-year-old Vera, and six-year-old Hans. The family had been living in Amsterdam after being forced out of their home in Almelo. Annelies Andriesse and her sister Marianna were two other young Jews who were saved by Aunt Martje. At first it was difficult for these children to adjust to their new life, but the presence of so many other children made life bearable and interesting for them. As the war continued, rumors began to spread in the locale that Martina Molewijk was hiding Jewish children. Slowly she began to move them on to safer places, until only six were left in her care. However, on May 24, 1944, nine months after she began sheltering Jewish children, Aunt Martje was warned by policemen that she had been betrayed to the Germans. The remaining children were whisked away immediately by Adri to safer hiding places. At the same time, Martina burned all the documents and clothing belonging to the children. Later, when the Germans came to inspect her house, they found nothing. Martina told them that she had had children staying with her, but that none of them were Jews and that their parents had wanted them to return home. All of the children who had been hiding with Martina Molewijk---most ofwhom went into the care of the NV group--- survived the war. On April 29, 1976, Yad Vashem recognized Martina Adriana Molewijk and Adri van Dongen as Righteous Among the Nations.