Heerlen honors local war dead and resistance heroes with street name plan

Local victims of fascism

Three namings honor and commemorate all local victims of fascism. They are the Alte Mutter Steinbachpad near Brunssummerheide, the Hendlichpad near Welterlaan, and the Henriette Neterpad outside Benzenrade. The Alte Mutter Steinbachpad honors the matriarch of a prominent Heerlen Sinti family, several of whose members were murdered by the Nazis. The Hendlich path honors the memory of the Jewish Hendlich family, who lived on Coriovallum Street. Mother Sure and father Chil Fischer, pastors of the Jewish community in Heerlen, were killed as were their 5 children. The Henriette Neter path honors a Jewish girl who went into hiding in Benzenrade, was betrayed and murdered in Auschwitz on September 6, 1944. The path lies along the meadows where Henriette once played and within walking distance of Benzenrade's chapel, where she is also remembered. 

April/May Strike 1943 

The April-May 1943 strikes are among the very largest Dutch acts of resistance during World War II. It is estimated that some 500,000 people participated in this wave of resistance, in which the South Limburg Miners' Strike played a leading role. Through heroic telephone operators, the resistance spark spread from the Stork machine factory in Hengelo to the offices of the Oranje Nassau I and the Maurits State Mine. On April 30 and May 1, the strike in the mining companies was almost complete. Hundreds of miners were arrested, and 3 were executed on May 2, 1943. New street names honor not only the strike, but also the brave telephone operators who helped mobilize miners from elsewhere in the country and the 3 strikers who were murdered. Paths are named after the telephone operators Gré Hekket and Femy Efftink at the ON 1 site, and after the strikers Meinardus Tempelaars, Reinier Savelsberg, and Servatius Toussaint paths in Heerlerheide and Hoensbroek. 

Resistance Women

Besides Gré Hekket and Femy Efftink, two heroic Heerlen resistance women are also being honored with street names. They are nutritionist Antje Bensen-Offermans and teacher Riek Okhuijzen. Antje Bensen helped transport downed Allied pilots, helped people in hiding and provided the resistance with information about the occupying forces. For her resistance work, she received awards after the war from General Eisenhower, the Royal House and the Pope. Riek Okhuijzen was a courier in the resistance, helping to distribute illegal newspapers and aids to the resistance. After the war, she was knighted and was a beloved school principal in Welten for a long time. 

Liberation

Finally, on the occasion of 80 years of liberation, Allied units that played a key role in the liberation of Heerlen are also being honored. These are the 119th Infantry Regiment, 30 Infantry Division, known as "Old Hickory," which liberated Heerlerbaan and the center of Heerlen on September 17, 1944, and the 743rd Tank Battalion, which liberated Welten, Benzenrade and Bekkerveld on the same day. Both paths will be located in Heerlerbaan. On Sept. 16, the Old Hickory street sign will be symbolically received by Kenneth Thayer, a veteran of the same unit. 

Alderman Casper Gelderblom: "These street names remind us that freedom cannot be taken for granted, especially at a time when extremist nationalism, discrimination and anti-Semitism are re-emerging. Keeping the stories from the war alive is essential for this very reason. These street names connect us to the past, and show that resistance and solidarity are incredibly important even today. With these new street names, we not only honor the victims and heroes of our city, but we also give meaning to the places where they are located. These names are a tangible reminder of the courage and perseverance of those who contributed to our liberation."

Disclosures

Over the next year, all new street names will be publicly unveiled in an appropriate manner. This will be done in cooperation with those involved and any relatives. The municipality will seek contact in the run-up to the unveilings, but those involved and relatives are also welcome to seek contact on their own initiative and possibly make suggestions for the layout of the unveilings.