Mary Ann and Dave's Bike Trip out East...and Back!: 243. Europe Bicycle Trip--Haarlem and Corrie Ten Boom

Day 85. July 10th, 2014. Today is the birthday of my youngest daughter, Sarah who with her youngest son, Dane, came to the Netherlands with me for the first 12 days of my trip. Happy 29th birthday, Sarah!I woke up and did blog and journal work, had a shower and a breakfast sandwich and then I was off to the bus stop to catch Bus 168. At the train-bus station I put 4 more Euro on my bus pass and then took Bus 300 for the half hour ride to Haarlem.

Notice the grass roofs on these row houses. We have the same at the American border crossing by Sault Ste. Marie.

The bus let me off directly across from the train station (a rijksmonument) of Haarlem. Haarlem is the capital of the province of North Holland and is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropolitan areas of Europe. Haarlem has a population of 155,758. Haarlem was first granted city status in 1245. It has a rich history dating back to pre-medieval times, as it lies on a thin strip of land above sea level known as the strandwal (beach ridge) which connects Leiden to Alkmaar. The people on this narrow strip of land struggled against the waters of the North Sea from the west and the waters of the IJ and the Haarlem Lake from the east. Haarlem became wealthy with toll revenues that it collected from ships and travelers moving on this busy North-South route. The name Haarlem or "Haarloheim" means "home on a forested dune" The city suffered three great fires in the 1300s and in 1500 but was rebuilt quickly. The Spanish who took over the city in 1573 left in 1577 and under the Agreement of Veere, Protestants and Catholics were given equal rights. Haarlem was a major beer producer in the 1800s in the Netherlands with the water for the beer coming from the dunes. From the 1630s to present day, Haarlem has been a major trading center for tulips. As the center of trade shifted to Amsterdam in the 18th century, Haarlem became a summer home place for those working in the city. Most Haarlem Jews were deported during WWII and citizens survived the "Hunger Winter" by eating tulip bulbs. After the war, much of the large industry moved out of the city. The city has many museums

Kenau-Ripperda monument in bronze by French sculptor, Graziella Curreli. Kenau Simonsdochter Haselaer (1526-1588) was a wood merchant of Haarlem who became a legendary folk hero for her fearless defense of the city against Spanish invaders during the Siege of Haarlem in 1573.

Fancy place-Amsterdam style architecture

I am headed to the Corrie Ten Boom Museum and then the Frans Hal museum so I am going over the canal.

Ten Boom Juweliers--The Ten Boom Museum is a museum dedicated to The Hiding Place (De Schuilplaats), the subject of one of the books by Corrie Ten Boom. The house (the Beje) was purchased and restored in 1983 by the Corrie Ten Boom Fellowship. The Ten Boom family ran a watch shop (horlogerie) on the corner of an alleyway and the main shopping street of Haarlem. During the WWII Nazi occupation of Haarlem starting in 1942, they provided safe harbor for Jews and other underground refugees in a hiding place that they built upstairs in Corrie's small bedroom. Due to their large social network in church charities and watchmaker circles, the family was quite successful in smuggling refugees until they were betrayed on Feb. 28, 1944. In the alleyway window, they would place a small triangular sign to indicate that the coast was clear.

Storefront--Today the front is still a jewelry store. Casper ten Boom, 85, died on March 9, two weeks after their arrest in Scheveningen prison. Betsie and Corrie went from there to Herzogenbusch political concentration camp and then to Ravensbruck concentration camp where Betsie, 59, died on Dec. 16. Willem died Dec. 16,1946 in Hilversum and his son, Christian, died in April, 1945. They died in faith believing that the best was yet to come. Only Corrie survived from Ravensbruck. She was released December 28, 1944 (she says it was due to a clerical error) and after being forced to stay in a hospital barracks while recovering from edema she was able to return to Haarlem and the watch shop. Later she did what her sister Betsie had had dreams about. She toured the world giving talks about her family, their faith, and the Hiding Place and the importance of forgiveness. . She died on April 15, 1983 on her 91st birthday.

View of the alley from Barteljoristraat

The side door entrance--There are tours for about 20 people at a time in Dutch and also English. I went to the Dutch tour as it was earlier and I could understand 95% of the talk.

A small sign about the Hiding Place and the Ten Boom family. The museum opened on April 15, 1988.

First we walked past a cabinet of the store.

The tour guide told us about the books written by Corrie after the war and showed us items that could be purchased.Then we moved upstairs to the Ten Boom living quarters.


A photo of Corrie with the back side of a needlework of a crown. I purchased some cards and many bookmarks of the poem and the photo showing the reverse side of the needlework that looks like a jumble of threads and then the other side which shows a beautiful crown. "My life is but a weaving between God and me, I do not choose the colors, He works so steadily, Oft times He weaves in sorrow, and I in foolish pride, Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside Not till the loom is silent, and the shuttles cease to fly will God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why. The dark threads are as needful in the Weavers skilful hand As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned. .

We all sat around in the living room where the Ten Booms used to have Bible studies and where (if it was safe) the people hiding would come out to socialize for a while.

This lamp was original to the family house--as was...

this clock. We were told the history and story of the family and then we could ask questions. There was a piece of music on the piano and I asked if someone might be allowed to play it. Our guide said yes and a young lady in our group played the hymn, The Hiding Place. That was a very special touch for our tour for one could imagine the Ten Booms in the same room singing songs to the music. Then we were taken to the actual hiding place. Corrie had a very small bedroom and long one end of it a new wall was built that would hide about 6 people at a time. They crawled in through the closet. The back wall of the closet moved up and down with the help of clock weights. We were told that when the alarm sounded the 6 people could get in the closet in about 60 seconds.

I asked our guide if we could go in the Hiding Place and she said yes and I was the first in our group to crawl in and out.

A plaque in English, Dutch and German that has been placed on the back wall of the hiding place. First a verse from Psalm 51:1-3 "Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! for I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. " Then the words " May this plaque be an expression of our shame and grief over the serious crime that our German people committed against Holland during World War II. May it also be a token of love and gratitude to the Dutch people who assisted the Jews while they were being persecuted and who responded to the injustices of our German nation by showing goodness to God's chosen people. God bless Holland!"

Standing where others have hidden, I thought....

...would I have the faith to do the same?????

Crawling out--I am pretty small and still hit my back on the shelf going slowly. I can't imagine having to do it quickly in fear and panic .

The secret room behind a false wall was designed by a member of the Dutch resistance. Gradually, family and supporters brought building supplies into the house, hiding them in briefcases and rolled-up newspapers. The room was 30 inches (76 cm.) deep. A ventilation system allowed for breathing. The family also installed an electric raid-warning buzzer.

When the Ten Boom family were arrested there were 6 people hiding in the closet-4 Jews and 2 others. They remained undiscovered and all but one, an old woman named Mary, survived.

As a young woman Corrie was the first female watch specialist in Holland. Her father sent her to Switzerland for two years to study the watch trade. She was also active with helping with boy and girl scouts. She also ran a church for mentally-disabled people, and raised foster children . Perhaps she was able to make it through the war in the concentration camp because she was made to work n technical things there because she was good with her hands. She worked in a factory that made radios for aircraft in the concentration camp in Holland and did back-breaking manual work at the Ravensbruck women's concentration camp. She smuggled in a Bible under the hair at the back of her neck and she and her sister used to teach their fellow prisoners about Jesus. Betsie had great faith and love for everyone, not only prisoners but also for the Nazis who she pitied because they were so blinded by hatred.