Wolters Syrt & Lucinda (Seinen)

Wolters, Syrt & Lucinda (Seinen) In October 1942, Syrt Wolters, a barber from Enschede, Overijssel, who was in contact with Reverend Overduin*, visited Bernhard and Johanna Spanier and their two sons in their home in Deventer. Syrt offered to take them in and on January 12, 1943, Bernhard and Johanna Spanier were taken to Enschede. In the meantime, Heinz and Werner Spanier left their home by bicycle and, after several days they arrived at the Enschede railroad station, where Syrt picked them up. Syrt and Lucinda lived in a small house. Bernhard and Johanna were lodged on the first floor in a small room containing a table, four chairs, and a folding bed. Werner and Heinz slept on mattresses in the attic. Syrt and Lucinda were well aware of the risks they were taking. No one knew they were hiding Jews, not even their young daughters. The Spanier family paid a minimal amount towards their upkeep and the underground provided ration cards for them. To avoid suspicion, Lucinda did her shopping at different stores. In October 1943, an air battle was fought over Enschede with hundreds of civilian casualties and many buildings damaged. The Wolterses’ home remained unharmed. The following day, all houses were inspected for damage. This was the first time that the Spaniers spent several hours in their secret hideout, a narrow space behind a wall where Johanna and Bernhard could stand up right while their sons had to kneel under the windowsill. In February 1945, the German authorities ordered the inhabitants of Enschede to stay at home to allow for the Germans to conduct a search for male laborers to be sent to Germany. Syrt, who had already been warned by the underground of the upcoming search, went into hiding elsewhere. The Spaniers were in their special hideout when the Germans came to the Wolterses’ home. Lucinda burst into tears as soon as the Germans arrived at her front door. She told them her husband was already in Germany. The soldiers then comforted her andsearched the house only superficially. During the war, the Wolterses also helped other Jews. Among them were Frida Jacobs and Bep Hakker, who both posed as non-Jewish maids, and the Duveen-Wagenaar couple, whom they provided with a hiding address. Enschede was liberated on April 1, 1945. Just over two weeks later, the Spanier family returned to their home in Deventer. Syrt and Lucinda emigrated to Canada in 1948. On January 31, 1993, Yad Vashem recognized Syrt Wolters and his wife, Lucinda Wolters-Seinen, as Righteous Among the Nations.