Pontier Gerardus & Dora (Wartema)

Pontier, Gerardus Jacobus & Dora Maria (Wartema) Gerard Pontier had been the Calvinist vicar of Heerlen, Limburg, from 1915. He lived with his wife, Dora, and their four children in a large vicarage on Leonard Stassen Street. After the German invasion, Pontier preached indefatigably against the occupier. On his many house calls he spoke in favor of unarmed Resistance. In the summer of 1942, Pontier stopped Salomon Silber, the eldest son of the Orthodox Jewish Silber family, who had been living in Heerlen for ten years, and offered him help. Salomon’s family consisted of six members---parents and four brothers, aged between ten and 20. In July 1942, the three eldest brothers received orders for deportation. Abraham, who was the strongest of the sons, volunteered to report for deportation. He survived the war. In the meantime, Salomon and Chanine (Bernard) were welcomed into the Pontiers’ home. In July 1942, Jaap Musch*, a laboratory assistant from Amsterdam, visited the Pontier family. He had recently started working at the National Mines and he later became the leader of the NV*. Japp and the Pontiers began persuading the local Calvinist families to shelter fugitives. In order to speed up the process of locating safe addresses, Jaap’s brother, Gerard, and his colleague, Dick Groenewegen van Wijk*, moved to Heerlen. Thus, in the second half of 1942, the Pontiers, Jaap, Gerard, and Dick established the foundations of the NV. By late April 1943, approximately 80 children were already hidden in and around Heerlen. Meanwhile, the deportation of the rest of the Silber family appeared imminent and so the youngest son, Aron, was placed with a family just outside Heerlen and the Pontiers afforded the parents, Gerschon and Mirla Silber shelter in their own home. The Pontiers’ eldest daughter, Lies, made room for the fugitives by vacating her room and moving in with neighbors. On November 6, 1943, when the organization was running smoothly, they were informed that the Sipowas coming to apprehend Pontier. Three-year-old Lilly de Goede, who was also hiding in the Pontiers’ home was immediately moved out of the house, along with any incriminating evidence. However, the Silbers would have been recognized immediately had they ventured outside and so they could not escape. Consequently, Pontier decided to stay in the house. When the Sipo agents arrived and found him sitting behind his desk, they decided it was unnecessary to search the rest of the premises. The Silbers were saved. Pontier was incarcerated for six months in the notorious prison the “Oranjehotel” in Scheveningen. He was in solitary confinement for some of the time. In May 1944, he returned, emaciated, to his family. After recuperating, he once more dedicated himself to the NV’s activities. After the war, the Silber family and the Pontiers maintained a warm relationship. On February 13, 1968, Yad Vashem recognized Gerardus Jacobus Pontier and his wife, Dora Maria Pontier-Wartema, as Righteous Among the Nations.