Aalderen van Albert & Jantje (Koster)

Aalderen van, Albert & Jantje (Koster) Albert and Jantje van Aalderen, both born in Hoogeveen, were living in the province of Drenthe during the war. This area, part of the Nieuwlande-Hoogeveen region, was well known for its illegal activities. Albert began his involvement in the underground by distributing Vrij Nederland, an illegal newspaper. In early 1943, Mien Bouwman (later Vooren*) joined the newly established Protestant paper Trouw and Albert and Jantje joined her in this initiative. After only a few months of work there, Mien asked the van Aalderens to find some safe houses for Jewish children. By telling his contacts at Trouw about his search, Albert managed to find about ten foster families in the Nieuwlande-Hoogeveen region. Thus, three-year-old Sally Appel arrived in Hoogeveen and was escorted to the Nijwening* family by Albert. The van Aalderens also welcomed four-year-old Rivka Vleeschhouwer into their home before sending her to a safe shelter, where she stayed until the liberation, when she was returned to her parents. On June 9, 1983, Yad Vashem recognized Albert van Aalderen and his wife, Jantje van Aalderen-Koster, as Righteous Among the Nations.