1902–1945
Profile
- Forenames
- Johannes
- Surname
- der Weduwen
- Known as
- Joop
- Born
- Aalten, 17 May 1902
- Died
- Apeldoorn, 23 January 1945
- Occupation / role
- Doctor, General practitioner (GP)
- Buried
- Begraafplaats Berkenhove, Aalten
- Grave number
- 713
- 17 May 1902
Born
AaltenFind a Grave
- 23 January 1945
Died
ApeldoornFind a GraveBuried: Begraafplaats Berkenhove, Aalten · grave 713Find a Grave
Family
Parents
Harman Johannis der Weduwen
1868–1949
Only family relationships reviewed by Old Aalten are shown.
- Johannes (Joop) der Weduwen1902–1945
- Harman Johannis der Weduwen1868–1949
Sources
- Aalten in Bezettingstijd, B. de Joode
- Aalten in Oorlogstijd, J.G. ter Horst
- De oorlog onder één dak: ”Dokter der illegaliteit”, Hans de Beukelaer
- dwangarbeidersapeldoorn.nl
- Er op of er onder, Aalten, het land der onderduikers en der illegaliteit, G.W. Vaags
- Gemeentearchief Apeldoorn, gemeentepolitie Apeldoorn, nr. 193, doos 33
- Graafschapbode, 30 januari 1945
- Nationaal Onderduikmuseum Aalten
- Findagrave – Community Memorial
- Open Archieven – Record
Johannes (Joop) der Weduwen was a popular general practitioner in Aalten. On 23 January 1945, he came near Apeldoorn to die after being shot at by an Allied plane, at least according to the German authorities.
Joop der Weduwen was born on 17 May 1902 in Aalten. He studied at the Gymnasium in Doetinchem, later at the University of Utrecht, where he took his medical exam and then obtained his doctorate in medicine. He showed himself to be a worthy successor to his father and established himself here as a doctor.
From the beginning of the war, Joop der Weduwen became involved in the resistance in the Achterhoek. He actively helped people sought by the German authorities. Two young men who refused compulsory labour service were taken into his household. When Allied aircraft were shot down and crew members were injured, he provided medical assistance. His car was ‘stolen’ for a raid on the distribution office in Borculo. He also helped Jewish people in hiding on various farms in the surrounding area and played a role in leaving the Jewish baby ‘Willem Herfstink’ at the home of resistance leader ‘Ome Jan’ Wikkerink.
Assistance to forced labourers
In the last winter of the war, Joop der Weduwen felt closely involved with the forced labourers who had to do their slave work under inhumane conditions, especially in Camp Rees . That camp was just across the border in Germany. As a representative of the Dutch Red Cross, he negotiated with Peter Röhrig, the commander known as the executioner of Rees to remove the sick and wounded.
He tried to bring as many people as possible to Aalten, where Huize Avondvrede on Hogestraat had been converted into an emergency hospital. Many were also transported in the doctor’s car to the emergency hospital in Harreveld. Some sick people stayed temporarily at his home before going into hiding.
On 19 January 1945, Doctor Der Weduwen, accompanied by two SS men from the Rees camp, left for The Hague for an official meeting with high-ranking German officers and the mayor there. On behalf of the Red Cross, he pleaded for better conditions for the forced labourers, many of whom came from The Hague and Rotterdam. The men had to spend the nights on the bare floors in draughty and damp wooden sheds, had meager clothes and hardly got anything to eat. To improve their inhuman existence somewhat, he asked for straw bags, among other things.
Fateful return journey
During the return trip to Aalten, on 23 January 1945, the car he was in was fired upon by an Allied fighter plane near Apeldoorn around five o’clock in the afternoon, at least according to the German authorities.
His lifeless body was found badly mutilated in a dry ditch, where he had tried to take cover. He had lost a lot of blood and had died on the spot. The car was undamaged. There were strong rumors that the Germans deliberately attacked him because he had become too troublesome. Joop der Weduwen was 43 years old.
Willem van Houtum, Apeldoorn’s war chronicler, wrote about it in his diary on 23 January:
“A doctor from Aalten, who interfered a lot with the condition of the deportees in Rees, died of German indifference. The doctor left for The Hague last Friday with two Germans in a car. He wanted to plead with high authorities for the improvement of the treatment of our compatriots in Rees and so on. It was to no avail. As a result, they returned on Tuesday. They were shot at by an English plane on the concrete road near Hoog Soeren. The doctor got out of the car in a hurry to take cover but collapsed badly injured. The two Germans took away the wallet, wallet and so on and drove on to the Ortskommandant in Apeldoorn. He refused to transport the doctor because it was a civilian. So the two Krauts drove on to Aalten and handed over the wallet and so on to the doctor’s wife. This in turn could not provide transport either. She called in the help of a family member in Apeldoorn. With the help of the police, he succeeded in having the body (the doctor had died of excessive blood loss) transferred to Aalten. Due to the many shelling, the concrete section of the Amersfoortseweg near Hoog Soeren is already popularly called ‘Dodenweg’.”
Police report
Tuesday 23 January 1945, 17.00 hours, report no. 23.
Informs Zegers in Nieuw Millingen that a man has just been shot dead by guns. A car is also on fire. Criminal Investigation Department, Feldgendarmerie, Pol. Officer and L.B.D. notified. The body is picked up by the L.B.D. (= Air Protection Service) and transferred to the hospital on the Sprengenweg.
Wednesday 24 January 1945, 5.45 p.m., report no. 24.
With regard to the mutation of the report of the order police of 23-01-1945 at 17.00 hours, detective Adema reports that the body of the said person was picked up by the L.B.D. and laid out in the morgue of the hospital on the Sprengenweg. It has been identified as Dr. Johan der Weduwen, living at Landstraat 4, in Aalten. His brother-in-law Wissink, living at Stationsstraat 25 here, has been informed of this, who takes care of warning the family and the funeral.
Funeral
On Saturday, 27 January, Joop der Weduwen was laid to rest at Berkenhove Cemetery in Aalten in the presence of a very large crowd. The funeral procession numbered at least 1,000 people. Beforehand, a memorial service had been held in the Old St Helena Church, led by the Reverend J.D. Stegeman, retired minister in Aalten. On behalf of the forced labourers, Mr Dijkgraaf of The Hague spoke words of thanks and farewell.
Friends, patients and villagers had a special memorial stone made in front of his grave in gratitude and to honour him. The text on the monument reads: “His conviction made him offer help to the oppressed – resistance – deportees.”
His name is also mentioned on the memorial stone for the fallen in the organised resistance on the Markt in Aalten, next to the Old Helena Church.
On 31 March 2023, a Stolperstein was laid in front of the house where Joop der Weduwen lived, Landstraat 41 in Aalten.