Maanen van Pim & Gerda (Ritman)

Ritman, Gerda (Loeff) Maanen van, Pim Gerda Loeff came into contact with the Westerweel* group and its founder, Joop Westerweel*, through the ”De Werkplaats” school in Bilthoven, Utrecht. She became Joop’s pupil and used her artistic talent to forge ration cards and other documents. Gerda was a firm believer in human rights and had already gotten herself into trouble in 1942 when she publicly demonstrated against the decree that the Jews had to wear a yellow star and was arrested. After three weeks in prison in Amsterdam, she went to Joop to offer her services and was referred to Frans Gerritsen*. She traveled to Haarlem and began learning how to forge documents. After moving to The Hague, Gerda and her fiancé and future husband, Pim van Maanen opened their home to haverim who had escaped from Westerbork, taking them to the Belgian border, from where they went south with Joop. On June 16, 1964, Yad Vashem recognized Gerda Ritman-Loeff and Pim van Maanen as Righteous Among the Nations.