During World War II, the Jewish couple Frits and Amalia Landau lived in Aalten. Their lives ended tragically when they were executed by the resistance due to Frits’ dangerous behaviour. Their bodies were presumably buried in the countryside surrounding Aalten, but the exact location remains unknown to this day.
Frits Landau was born on 28 November 1905 in Aalten. He became a travelling salesman and remained unmarried for a long time. On 6 June 1942, he became engaged to Amalia Lorch, known as Maly, born on 20 December 1902 in Bocholt. They married in August of that same year and moved in with the Schaap family at ‘t Dal 1 in Aalten.
Soon, they were forced into hiding. From 1 April 1943, Gelderland was officially to be Juden-frei, Juden-rein (free of Jews). The Aalten population register states that Frits and Amalia departed on 17 March 1943, with no destination recorded. They subsequently stayed at two different hiding addresses, most recently with the Van Eerden family at the farm De Maote in the rural district of Dale.
Unpredictable and dangerous behaviour
It is said that Frits Landau was an alcoholic with a short temper, which led to unpredictable and dangerous behaviour. Reportedly, he did not make things easy for his hosts; he harassed young ladies and demanded his drinks every evening. He was accustomed to a luxurious lifestyle, yet in 1943, alcohol was barely available on the farms.
On several occasions, Frits threatened to betray his hiding places in order to buy his own freedom from the Nazis—at least, he assumed this would succeed. Twice, such attempts were thwarted at the very last minute.
Liquidation by the resistance
Because he was considered a safety risk to other people in hiding by the local resistance, the decision was made to execute him to protect other fugitives and their helpers.
The Council of Resistance and even local clergy discussed how to deal with him. Ome Jan Wikkerink proposed keeping Frits under permanent guard by other hiders and pilots. This did not happen, however, as several young resistance members took the initiative to eliminate him themselves.
They told the Landau couple that they would be taken to another hiding address in Vragender—a suitable excuse to get Amalia to come along with Frits. Incidentally, the intention was to separate Frits and Maly, as they wanted to spare her this fate. However, Frits refused to cooperate with being separated, and thus Maly was drawn into his fate.
Frits and Amalia Landau-Lorch were liquidated and buried in the countryside of Aalten by the local resistance in late 1943 or early 1944.
Location unknown
Opinions differ regarding the exact place and date of the liquidation. According to one theory, Frits and Amalia were killed on the Schaarsheide, close to the Nazarethdijk. Another theory points to the Daalse Goor.
The burial site of the Landau couple has been searched for several times, with the aim of giving them a reburial in the Jewish cemetery, but so far without result.
During a search on the Schaarsheide, a lady’s shoe and three rusted shovels were found. Investigation indicated that the shoe likely dates from the 1930s. It is plausible that the first burial site was discovered there. According to those involved, the bodies were later reburied. At the time, everything had to be done quickly, and apparently, it was later decided that the original burial site was unsuitable. During the clearing of the first grave, the lady’s shoe was supposedly left behind. Afterward, the mortal remains were reburied elsewhere, but where is unknown.
The most recent search took place in 2023. In a small patch of forest between Aalten and Lichtenvoorde, twelve experienced amateurs searched for the bodies of Frits and Amalia. Using detectors, they searched at various frequencies for different materials, but no human remains were found.
On 13 April 2016, two Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) for Frits and Amalia Landau-Lorch were laid at their last official residential address at ‘t Dal.
