Wilma Knoppersen is a member of the board of the October 44 Foundation (Putten, Netherlands). Both of her grandfathers, Heimen Knoppersen and Johan Wendt, were arrested during the raid in Putten on October 1 and 2, 1944 and deported to Neuengamme on October 14, 1944, where they both died the following year.
How did you learn about your persecuted family member’s story?
My parents told me at a young age about the history of my two grandfathers, who both died in the concentration camp Neuengamme after the raid in Putten.
The story was told to us on the basis of the photos and the monument of “the woman of Putten”.
What influence does your family history have on the person you are today?
I have missed my grandfathers in my life, both as persons and as grandfathers. Because of that loss, I became interested in their lives before the raid in Putten and what happened to them afterwards.
The impact of the loss of a father on my parents lives was great. In our family a lot has been told and talked about the history of both my grandfathers.
As a child I have experienced what it means for my grandmothers when loved ones (my grandfathers) are killed by the violence of war.
I have deep respect for how they took up and carried out their tasks in their families and businesses after the war.
What elements of your family history and values will you pass on to the next generation(s)?
It is important that you know the family history and the history of your town or city. There are lessons to be learned from history. There is no one way to deal with war grief, it is a very personal topic. It is important to pay attention to injustice and the exercise of power.
How did you come to be involved in the October 44 Foundation? What does your involvement mean to you?
As a sympathizer of the October 44 Foundation, I made a trip to Neuengamme.
I was deeply touched by that visit and have spoken about it with others. I am an educationalist and have been asked by the board of the foundation to shape the educational program of this foundation.
Every year, we organize an event where we tell the story of the raid in Putten to around 350 children from the last years of primary school.
