Campagne Hans & Cornelia (Sobels)

Lookeren Campagne van, Hans & Cornelia Maria (Sobels) On June 9, 1983, Yad Vashem recognized Hans van Lookeren Campagne and his wife, Cornelia Maria van Lookeren Campagne-Sobels, as Righteous Among the Nations. (See Douwes, Arnold P.C.) Douwes, Arnold P.C. Arnold Douwes was the son of a Protestant minister, and a rebel at heart. Early in his life, he had emigrated from Holland to the United States, where he was incensed by the discrimination against the American black population. He was deported from the US after he was arrested and charged with being a Communist for committing the “crime” of forcing the management of a restaurant in Chicago to serve a black man. His case reached the Supreme Court, where he actually won, but by that time he was already back in Holland and totally absorbed in the fight against the racist Nazi ideology. Throughout the German occupation of Holland, Arnold devoted his life to the rescue of Jews and others whose lives were at risk. He was among the first people in Holland to actively resist the Nazis, initially by publishing illegal newsletters and sabotaging German targets. He was also instrumental in forging identity cards, acquiring food coupons from the distribution offices, and securing the financial wherewithal for keeping fugitives alive in various hiding places. Arnold had commenced his activities in May 1940, and before long found himself on the Germans’ wanted list and so he went into hiding. In May 1941, he found shelter with Johannes Post* and his wife, on their farm in Nieuwlande, a small village in Drenthe. Over time, Johannes and Arnold became close friends and worked together in the Resistance. After being in Nieuwlande for a while, Arnold realized that it was an exceptional place for hiding Jews because of its geographical location and because the residents were especially cooperative. The farm became a base of operations from where Arnold arranged hiding places for Jews. When Johannes became a national leader ofthe armed Resistance, Arnold replaced him in his former capacity of rescuing Jews from Amsterdam. Arnold often spent hours convincing the host families to welcome the guests. He would promise them support with provisions and food coupons, as well as financial stipends. His connections with the LO enabled him to pay a monthly annuity for many of the Jews in hiding. Arnold’s methods were not always tactful. He would often ask for a place for one fugitive, yet bring two. He sometimes requested shelter for a small child, but would bring an older one. Arnold often got carried away with emotion and it was not uncommon for him to resort to shouts and insults. His confrontational methods, which reflected the extreme urgency of the situation and the danger posed to both fugitives and hosts, earned him widespread criticism. He was accused of bringing too many Jews to Nieuwlande, of being reckless and irresponsible, of placing everyone at risk. However, Arnold persisted with his efforts and remarked in his diary that his method “worked.” Dozens of people were often crammed in a back room waiting anxiously for a place to hide. The work did take a considerable emotional toll. Arnold was the “father” of his “onderduikers” and they were totally dependent on him. Despite the attenuated emotions, and although his methods were tactless, Arnold carried out his task with care and concern. He helped ensure that fugitives without enough clothing were provided for. He ensured that correspondence was kept up between dispersed families. He assisted in the relocation of anyone who was unhappy in his shelter. Throughout this entire period, Arnold kept a coded diary. Despite its being essential that his actions remain undisclosed, he updated the diary, which he kept hidden in the ground, every few weeks. On October 19, 1944, the Gestapo finally caught up with Arnold. He was arrested and incarcerated in the Assen prison, where he was tried and sentenced to death. On December 11, 1944, only afew hours before his execution, the armed Resistance succeeded in freeing Arnold and some other underground activists. Once free, Arnold was obliged to go into hiding. By this time, the hiding places provided by the Resistance had become unsafe and Arnold was compelled to relocate regularly from one address to another. In April 1945 he crossed the line to freedom in Coevorden, a nearby village that had already been liberated. After the war, Arnold married Jet Reichenberger, one of the women whose lives he had helped save. The couple moved to South Africa and a few years later they moved to Israel with their three daughters. In Israel, Arnold resumed practicing his actual profession, as a landscape architect. After 30 years, he returned to Holland. On March 23, 1965, Yad Vashem recognized Arnold Douwes as Righteous Among the Nations.