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Eyewitness Story: Marie Blommaart
Marie Blommaart from Lamswaarde was only 19 years old when World War II broke out. Now 103 years old, she still recalls the moment her father brought the news that the Germans had invaded the Netherlands as if it were yesterday. “He was as pale as a ghost. It felt like a burning barn, something that couldn’t be stopped.”
At the time, the Blommaart family owned a shop in Lamswaarde. When the resistance asked Marie’s mother if someone could collect ration coupons for people in hiding, she didn’t hesitate: “Oh, our Marieke will do that.” From that moment on, Marie traveled back and forth by ferry to Goes with her bicycle and bags full of ration coupons. Without her knowing, she was also transporting the resistance newspaper Trouw.
Every evening, Freek Bakker would come to the back door to collect the newspapers. When Freek was later arrested and tortured, he eventually mentioned Marie’s name. Shortly after that, Marie was also arrested.
Handling Interrogations Wisely
During the interrogations, Marie pretended to be ignorant, even though she spoke German fluently. She acted as if she didn’t understand the language and allowed a translator to interpret, giving her extra time to think about her answers. This clever use of the situation helped her during these critical moments.
In prison, Marie met resistance fighter Hettie Voûte. Hettie taught Marie how to send messages home by sewing secret notes into the hems of her towels. Marie used this method to keep her family informed about her situation.
Surviving in Kamp Vught
Marie was eventually deported to Kamp Vught. Even there, she smuggled small messages home, this time through the hems of clothing from prisoners who were being released. Despite the hardships, Marie felt that she had been “lucky” because her family always knew where she was and what was happening to her.
When Marie was finally allowed to return home, she smuggled messages from fellow prisoners out in her own clothing. Once home, she wanted to share her story, but the people around her said, “Just forget it, it’s over.” However, for Marie, it didn’t feel like it was over. The memories of her brave actions in the resistance would stay with her forever.
Marie Blommaart
Watch below the story of Marie Blommaart, a young woman from Lamswaarde, who courageously transported ration coupons and resistance newspapers during the war and survived her imprisonment through clever and bold actions. Her story is a testament to determination and the strength of resistance in the most difficult times.