Risking Their Lives

Before they became full-fledged underground warriors, Truus and Freddie Oversteegen committed relatively modest transgressions. After all, they were just 16 and 14 years old, respectively, when Nazi Germany first occupied the Netherlands in May 1940, during the early years of World War II.

The girls distributed outlawed newspapers to bus riders and posted banners praising the Soviet Union, Germany’s enemy. They escorted Jewish children from one safe hiding place to the next so the kids could avoid capture and harm by the Nazis.

Truus and Freddie Oversteegen became seasoned underground warriors. But at first, they committed only modest offenses. After all, the sisters were only 16 and 14 years old, respectively, when Nazi Germany first occupied the Netherlands. The German occupiers had come in May 1940, during the early years of World War II.

The girls passed out outlawed newspapers to bus riders. They posted banners praising the Soviet Union, Germany’s enemy. They also escorted Jewish children from one safe hiding place to the next so the kids could avoid capture and harm by the Nazis.

But soon, their activities grew even riskier. A Nazi resistance leader bluntly asked the sisters if they thought they could shoot someone. They said they could. Then they joined one of the many clandestine bands fighting the Nazis and their Dutch collaborators in various stealthy ways.

The sisters, along with a third teenager from their hometown, Johanna (Hannie) Schaft, 19, helped assassinate German and Dutch officials and sabotage the German army. Their stories shed light on a less-explored facet of World War II and the Holocaust—resistance against the Germans by ordinary Europeans, particularly the role of brave women.

But soon, their activities grew even riskier. A Nazi resistance leader bluntly asked the sisters if they thought they could shoot someone. They said they could. Then they joined one of the many underground bands fighting the Nazis and their Dutch supporters in various ways.

The sisters helped kill German and Dutch officials and sabotage the German army. They did so along with a third teenager from their hometown, Johanna (Hannie) Schaft, 19. Their stories shed light on a less-explored element of World War II and the Holocaust: resistance against the Germans by ordinary Europeans, particularly the role of brave women.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of women risked their lives to undermine the Nazis, smuggling revolvers or fake passports in loaves of bread, building underground bunkers, flinging Molotov cocktails, and spiriting Jewish children out of harm’s way. Resistance leaders liked turning to young women for such missions because the German occupiers rarely suspected that a woman would volunteer for such dangerous work.

The exploits of the three Dutch women were so dramatic they became the subject of books, most recently Three Ordinary Girls by Tim Brady.

Bas von Benda-Beckmann, a former researcher at the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies, says the three Dutch girls were unusual.

“There are not that many examples of women who actually shot collaborators,” he told the History Channel.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of women risked their lives to undermine the Nazis. They carried revolvers or fake passports hidden in loaves of bread. They built underground bunkers. They threw Molotov cocktails. And they kept Jewish children out of harm’s way. Resistance leaders liked turning to young women for such missions. That’s because the German occupiers rarely thought that a woman would do such risky work.

The adventures of the three Dutch women were so dramatic they became the subject of books. Among these books is Three Ordinary Girls by Tim Brady.

Bas von Benda-Beckmann, a former researcher at the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies, says the three Dutch girls were unusual.

“There are not that many examples of women who actually shot collaborators,” he told the History Channel.

The seeds of World War II were planted when Adolf Hitler, the demagogic leader of the Nazi Party, was named chancellor of Germany in 1933 (see timeline slideshow, below). Almost overnight, he turned a weak but democratic government into a totalitarian state.

Hitler began embedding the idea of a “master race” into the national psyche and spreading the sentiment that Germans, or “Aryans,” were genetically superior and non-Aryans were “subhuman.” Hitler had an animus toward Jews, whom he falsely blamed for Germany’s loss in World War I. He barred them from certain professions and government jobs, forbade them from using public spaces, and unleashed violence against them. On November 9, 1938—later known as Kristallnacht, or Night of Broken Glass—Nazis torched synagogues in Germany and Austria, looted Jewish businesses, and killed at least 90 Jews.

Beginning in September 1939, Hitler, seeking to vastly expand German territory, invaded Poland—and later France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and eventually most of Eastern Europe and parts of the Soviet Union. The Nazis deported Jews and those they deemed to be political opponents to concentration camps such as Auschwitz, where, beginning in 1943, people were murdered in gas chambers or deployed as slave laborers for the German war machine. The Nazis and their collaborators murdered 6 million Jews.

The seeds of World War II were planted in 1933. That’s when Adolf Hitler, the fiery leader of the Nazi Party, was named chancellor of Germany in 1933 (see timeline slideshow, below). Almost overnight, he turned a weak but democratic government into a dictatorship.

Hitler began planting the concept of a “master race” into the national psyche. He spread the idea that Germans, or “Aryans,” were superior because of their genes, and non-Aryans were “subhuman.” Hitler hated Jews. He falsely blamed them for Germany’s loss in World War I. He barred them from certain careers and government jobs. He kept them from using public spaces and unleashed violence against them. On November 9, 1938, Nazis torched synagogues in Germany and Austria. They also looted Jewish businesses. Nazis killed at least 90 Jews that night. It became known as Kristallnacht, or Night of Broken Glass.

In September 1939, Hitler invaded Poland. He later invaded France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Eventually, he occupied most of Eastern Europe and parts of the Soviet Union. It was part of his plan to expand German territory. The Nazis deported Jews and those they considered political opponents to concentration camps such as Auschwitz. Beginning in 1943, people at Auschwitz were murdered in gas chambers or used as slave laborers for the German war machine. The Nazis and their supporters murdered 6 million Jews.

Because of the ferocity of the German response to any protests, demonstrations, or strikes, opponents of the regime realized they needed to use stealth to undermine the invaders.

Within Germany, a group of college students known as the White Rose printed leaflets exposing the atrocities committed by German forces. In 1943, Danish resisters, abetted by hundreds of ordinary Danes, secretly ushered 7,200 Jews—over 90 percent of the country’s Jewish population—to safety in neutral Sweden. In Warsaw, Poland, in 1943, bands of Jewish fighters fought off the well-armed Germans for several weeks.

But defiance of Nazi edicts was relatively rare because people knew it could result in imprisonment or execution on the spot.

“How many people love their neighbor so much that they’re willing to risk their lives?” says Judy Baumel-Schwartz, a professor of Jewish history at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University.

The Germans quickly squashed any protests, demonstrations, or strikes. As a result, opponents of the regime knew they needed to use secrecy to undermine the invaders.

Within Germany, a group of college students known as the White Rose printed leaflets. In them, they exposed the horrors committed by German forces. In 1943, Danish resisters secretly ushered 7,200 Jews to safety in neutral Sweden. At the time, that was more than 90 percent of the country’s Jewish population. The resistance was backed by hundreds of ordinary Danes. In Warsaw, Poland, bands of Jewish fighters fought off the well-armed Germans for several weeks in 1943.

But defiance of Nazi rules was relatively rare. That’s because people knew they could be put in prison or executed on the spot as a result.

“How many people love their neighbor so much that they’re willing to risk their lives?” says Judy Baumel-Schwartz, a professor of Jewish history at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University.

The occupation in the Netherlands was ruthless, but Truus and Freddie’s entry into the resistance began at a young age. Their parents were leftist activists who had enrolled them in a socialist youth group that would later bring them into contact with people working underground to fight the Nazis.

By 1934, their mother was sheltering refugees from Nazi Germany on their way to asylum in England. When the sisters balked at picking up and taking in Jewish kids escaping Germany, their mother scolded the girls for being selfish.

In 1940, they took up an underground newspaper editor’s request to hand out an anti-Nazi magazine. When Anton Mussert, the leader of a Dutch pro-Nazi party, tried to give a speech, activists cut the wires to his microphone, and the sisters helped orchestrate a chorus of ringing bicycle bells that drowned out Mussert’s voice.

The occupation in the Netherlands was ruthless. Truus and Freddie’s entry into the resistance began at a young age. Their parents were leftist activists who had placed them in a socialist youth group. The group would later bring them into contact with people working underground to fight the Nazis.

By 1934, their mother was sheltering refugees from Nazi Germany on their way to asylum in England. Once, the sisters balked at picking up and taking in Jewish kids escaping Germany. When they did, their mother scolded the girls for being selfish.

In 1940, they took up an underground newspaper editor’s request to hand out an anti-Nazi magazine. When Anton Mussert, the leader of a Dutch pro-Nazi party, tried to give a speech, activists cut the wires to his microphone. The sisters then helped set off a chorus of ringing bicycle bells that drowned out Mussert’s voice.

Hannie was also reared in a politically conscious home. She was studying law at the University of Amsterdam when the roundups of Jews began. Hannie took pains to hide two Jewish classmates in her parents’ home and made counterfeit ID cards to help them evade the authorities.

But the girls’ clandestine work soon took a dangerous turn. A resistance leader named Frans van der Wiel learned of their illegal acts and asked them to join a small group that would sabotage vital infrastructure and kill Nazi officials and Dutch traitors.

In one of their first missions, Truus, donning heavy makeup and high heels, flirted with an SS officer in a restaurant popular with the Germans. With Freddie acting as a protective lookout, she lured the German officer into nearby woods, where van der Wiel shot him dead.

Unaccustomed to such violence, justified as they felt it was, the sisters wept when they reached home.

“We had to do it,” Freddie recalled to a journalist years later. “It was a necessary evil, killing those who betrayed the good people.”

Hannie was also raised in a politically conscious home. She was studying law at the University of Amsterdam when the roundups of Jews began. Hannie took pains to hide two Jewish classmates in her parents’ home. She also made fake ID cards to help them evade the authorities.

But the girls’ covert work soon took a deadly turn. A resistance leader named Frans van der Wiel learned of their illegal acts. He then asked them to join a small group that would ruin vital infrastructure and kill Nazi officials and Dutch traitors.

In one of their first missions, Truus put on heavy makeup and high heels. She flirted with an SS officer in a restaurant popular with the Germans. With Freddie acting as a lookout, she lured the German officer into nearby woods. Once they got there, van der Wiel shot him dead.

The sisters cried when they got home. They weren’t used to such violence, even though they felt it was just.

“We had to do it,” Freddie recalled to a journalist years later. “It was a necessary evil, killing those who betrayed the good people.”

Not long afterward, members of their resistance group suspected that one among them had been turned into an informer while under arrest. Truus discovered for herself that he was a traitor by rifling through his jacket pockets and finding a gun likely given to him by the police. She arranged to meet the man privately and confronted him, and when he reached for his gun, she fired hers first and shot him dead.

“The shooting of people was terrible,” Truus told an interviewer decades later. “I remember that we cried violently, Hannie, Freddie, and me. . . . It’s not a nice job, but it had to happen.”

Hannie and the sisters went on to help blow up a key railway line that was used to ship supplies to the German occupiers. Hannie also served as the lookout in a successful operation in 1943 to bomb an electric plant powering trains passing through the country’s north. Both attacks forced the Germans to spend time and resources on repairs.

Not long afterward, members of their resistance group suspected that one among them had been turned into an informer while under arrest. Truus discovered for herself that he was a traitor by rifling through his jacket pockets. In them, she found a gun likely given to him by the police. She set up a private meeting with the man and confronted him. When he reached for his gun, she fired hers first and shot him dead.

“The shooting of people was terrible,” Truus told an interviewer decades later. “I remember that we cried violently, Hannie, Freddie, and me. . . . It’s not a nice job, but it had to happen.”

Hannie and the sisters went on to help blow up a key railway line that was used to ship supplies to the German occupiers. Hannie also served as the lookout in a successful operation in 1943 to bomb an electric plant powering trains passing through the country’s north. Both attacks forced the Germans to spend time and resources on repairs.

One maneuver turned into a heartbreaking disaster. During a roundup of Jews, Truus—disguised as a nurse—was asked to shepherd a dozen children to a safe location. She led the kids through a train ride packed with German officers and a meadow of explosive mines. But when they attempted to cross a river, German officials discovered their boat and shots rang out. In the frenzy to escape, the boat capsized. Truus was able to rescue only one child.

The Germans fought back against the resisters, offering bounties for information exposing any hidden Jews and killing multiple resisters for every Dutch collaborator or German shot.

Just weeks before May 5, 1945, when Allied soldiers liberated the Netherlands, an agent of the Nazi secret police stopped and interrogated Hannie at a checkpoint. By then, she’d become notorious for her role in half a dozen assassinations.

One tactic turned into a heartbreaking disaster. During a roundup of Jews, Truus was asked to shepherd a dozen children to a safe location. Disguised as a nurse, she led the kids through a train ride packed with German officers and a stretch of explosive mines. But when they tried to cross a river, German officials discovered their boat and shots rang out. In the frenzy to escape, the boat capsized. Truus was able to rescue only one child.

The Germans fought back against the resisters. Nazis offered bounties for information exposing any hidden Jews. They also killed multiple resisters for every Dutch supporter or German shot.

On May 5, 1945, Allied soldiers set the Netherlands free. Just weeks before that, an agent of the Nazi secret police stopped and questioned Hannie at a checkpoint. By then, she’d become well-known for her role in half a dozen murders.