Date of birth:

May 7th, 1920 (Maastricht, the Netherlands)

Date of death:

July 1st, 1943 (Overveen, the Netherlands)

Nationality:

Dutch

Rudolf (Rudi) Bloemgarten was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War Two. He was a Jew and studied medicine at Amsterdam University. After Jewish students were banned from universities, he went into hiding and started to cooperatre with the resistance using forged papers. (Last known address Meerhuizenstraat 12 II)
From August 1942 onwards, Bloemgarten was involved in printing and distributing the underground paper Rattenkruid. He also joined the resistance group Groep 2000. In addition he provided ration cards and he forged Ausweise (identity papers) for Jewish and other hiders.
On February 2, 1943, on occasion of the execution of 10 hostages in Bloemendaal, he wanted to make an attempt on the life of NSB man Feitsma, who was named attorney-general at the Amsterdam Court. At he front door of Feitsma's home, Rudi suddenly faced Feitsma's son and opened fire on him, seriously injuring him.
Early 1943, in Amsterdam, Bloemgarten took part in a railway sabotage near Sloterdijk, arson in a cinema on Rembrandtplein and the raid on the Amsterdam Civil Registry on March 27, 1943 on the Plantage Kerklaan, corner of Middenlaan. Led by Gerrit van der Veen and accompanied by Willem Arondeus, Johan Brouwer, Sam van Musschenbroek, Coos Hartogh, Henri Halberstadt, Karl Gröger, Guus Reitsma, Koen Limperg, Sjoerd Bakker, Cornelis Barentsen and Cornelis Roos, he entered the building disguised as a police officer and used explosives to blow up the building. As a result of betrayal, most of the raiders and their assistants were arrested by the Sicherheitsdienst within two weeks.
The first attempt at arresting Bloemgarten was in Garderen where he rented a room. He was betrayed however by a Jewish V-mann (infiltrating in resistance groups in order to betray them) and shortly after Garderen he was arrested in Voorburg nonetheless. During the trial, held on June 18, 1943 before the SS- und Polizeigericht in the Koloniaal Instituut in Amsterdam, he was one of the 13 defendants sentenced to death. On July 1, twelve raiders were executed including painter and author Willem Arondeus, author Johan Brouwer, the architect Koen Limperg and Bloemgarten.
He was engaged to Hanny Levy. She escaped from Camp Westerbork with the help of Werner Stertzenbach and Trudy van Heemst and survived the war. In 2003 she attended the presentation of the book Het Verlaten Hotel in which she played one of the key roles. She passed away in 2010.
His father Victor Bloemgarten was arrested in April 1943 in the streets of Brussels. Subsequently his mother aged 86, Maria Anna Bloemgarten-Wesly and his sister Leonie were arrested as well. They were deported to Auschwitz via Mechelen. Victor Bloemgarten has performed forced labor for a while in Auschwitz-Monowitz.
Bernardine Hertog, Rudolf's mother, had been gassed in extermination camp Sobibor once month earlier than he was.
Three children of Victor and Bernardine, Hetty, Salvador (callname Dorke) and Eddie have survived the war.

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• - HEUVEL, C.C. VAN DEN e.a., Verzetsherdenkingskruis, Samsom Uitgeverij, 1985.
  - Rick Hoogervorst
  - Eerbetoon aan het Joodse proletariaat - NIW NIW
  - Rudolf BLOEMGARTEN | Stichting De Eerebegraafplaats te Bloemendaal
  

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