Coelingh Maria

Coelingh, Maria (Mia) Wilhelmina Jacoba Mia Coelingh of Bussum, North Holland, was the youngest of four daughters born to liberal parents and the only member of the family who became religiously inclined. Mia, a Protestant, became a teacher of religion in 1935 in Sneek, Friesland. Mia’s views to be tolerant to all, were also demonstrated by her cooperation when needed with Gerard Jansen*, a young Catholic serving as a chaplain, something unusual at the time. In January 1943, Piet Meerburg*, one of Mia’s cousins and the founder of the Amsterdam Student Group*, asked Mia to start looking for safe houses in Sneek and its vicinity for Jewish children. Mia passed the message on to Jansen and together they called on Willem Mesdag*, a local Baptist vicar. These three then established a network that found hideouts for an estimated 80 Jewish children between 1943 and 1944 and distributed clothing to them. Mia personally found shelter for 14 Jewish children with members of the local Reformed communities. Before placing the children with a foster family, Mia bleached the hair of children who had typically Jewish features. In December 1943, Lidie van Gelder, one of the first Jews hidden by the threesome, made a wooden token to honor Mia on it she inscribed: “The Good Shepherdess.” Lidie stayed in Sneek from March 1943 until the end of the year. Towards the end of 1944, Mia realized that she was in danger of being caught by the Sicherheits Polizei and thus was forced to cease her activities. (Maay Volkers-Bokma filled her position.) Jansen, who had already relocated to Enschede, Overijssel, organized a shelter there for Mia. (Lidie also relocated to a hideout in Enschede.) Mia remained there until a few weeks before the liberation, when she moved to Bussum to take care of her parents. On October 27, 1993, Yad Vashem recognized Mia Wilhelmina Jacoba Coelingh as Righteous Among the Nations.