Date of birth:

March 24th, 1917 (Vlaardingen)

Date of death:

May 11th, 1945 (Landeskrankenhaus Neustadt/Holstein, Germany)

Nationality:

Dutch

Dirk van Ekelenburg arrived in Nieuw Amsterdam in 1941. He was appointed assistant preacher in de Ned. Herv. Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church). Because of the fact that his priory was very large, he was asked to see if he could find hideout places for prisoners of war (For instance French ones). After that he got involved with resistance workers like Reinink, Bosman, v.d. Vinne, Oorlog and Boogaard. Also he had contacts with people from the resistance group of Johannes Post, like Kalter, Emmens and Akkerman. This group provided hideout places, clothing and coupons for food and clothes.
One of the resistance fighters, Cees Oorlog was a police officer, and another, Henk Boogaard was with the marechaussee (form of military police), what was very convenient for the resistance group.
Apart from his preaching, Dirk van Ekelenburg also was involved in making illegal newspapers with bookseller van Wieren and his son Cor. They made the paper "Luctor Et Emergo" that was distributed in the Southeast of the province Drenthe. Early 1945 Van Ekelenburg had to find a hideout in Schoonoord, but on January 25th he was raided by the Landwacht (militarist group of National Socialists) and arrested. After being imprisoned at the penalty prison Assen, he was transported to the Concentration camp Neuengamme near Hamburg. He survived the British bombardment of May 3rd 1945, but wounded he died in the hospital Landeskrankenhaus in Neustadt on May 11th after it was liberated by the British. He was only 28 years of age and left a wife and two small children.

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

June 9th, 1983

The Yad Vashem was given to Dirk and Lientje van Ekelenburg-van der Mast for their help, with danger for their own lives, to Jewish fellow people during the Holocaust of 1940-1945.

The award was given on January 25th 1985 by the Isrelian Ambassador in the Netherlands.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Unit:

LO-LKP

Awarded on:

January 23rd, 1982

THe Resistance Remembrance Cross was given on January 23rd 1982 by H.M. Prins Bernhard.
It was received to comemmorate Dirk van Ekelenburg's resistance work in Nieuw Amsterdam and surrounding area during the Second World War and for his help to French Prisoners of War and people that were trying to find hideout places.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

This award was given to those that were active in the BS (Internal Dutch Armed Forces. Dirk received it portumesly as a reminder of his work and giving the hifghest sacrifice, his life.

• - GUTMAN, I. e.a., Rechtvaardigen onder de Volkeren, L.J. Veen / NIOD, Amsterdam / Antwerpen, 2005.
  - HEUVEL, C.C. VAN DEN e.a., Verzetsherdenkingskruis, Samsom Uitgeverij, 1985.
  - Archive Fam.'van Ekelenburg'
  - Heuvel C.C. van den, Gedenkboek Verzetsherdenkingskruis, Samsom Uitgeverij, 1985
  - Gutman I., Rechtvaardigen onder de Volkeren, Nederlanders met een Yad Vashem-onderscheiding voor hulp aan Joden, Uitgeverij L.J. Veen, NIOD, Amsterdam, Antwerpen, 2002