Date of birth:

May 14th, 1910 (Leens, the Netherlands)

Date of death:

April 10th, 1945 (Mandeveld-Bakkeveen, the Netherlands)

Buried on:

Dutch War Graves Niekerk
Plot: C. Row: 10. Grave: 32.

Nationality:

Dutch

Martinus Ritzema was the son of Meerten Ritzema (1864-195?) and Anje Ritzema-Kadijk (1863-1950). On August 30, 1937 he married Heike Affiena Haan (1913-1999) in Scheemda. The couple had three children. Martinus attended the Willem Lodewijk Gymnasium in Groningen and studied law at the Vrije Universiteit (Free University) in Amsterdam. After graduation, he was appointed associate at the municipal administration at Waddinxveen and in 1935 he was appointed public servant in the city of Boskoop. In 1939 he was named Mayor of the city of Oldekerk.
On August 1, 1941, he resigned as Mayor because he did not wish to execute the German legislation. He was subsequently employed as tax consultant and insurance agent. Together with his brother, Rentje he was a member of the resistance and was part of he LO Oldekerk, the Ordedienst and the Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten (Armed Foces of the Interior). According to his record, he was engaged in providing shelter to persons in hiding, he collected money for the National Support Fund and the newspaper Trouw and he was in charge of the local Ordedienst. When he was called up to report for compulsory labor in the Organization Todt, he refused to do so and went into hiding at the farm of his brother Rentje in Leens.
On April 1, 1945, the Sicherheitsdienst raided the farm at 05:00 hours, searching for hiders. They were probably betrayed by the butcher Kooi in Leens. Rente was shot in the farm yard, Martinus was transferred to the detention house in Groningen.
On April 10, 1945, Martinus, along with nine other prisoners was executed on the Nije Drintsewij between Bakkeveen and Allartsoog by the SD officer Pieter Schaap.

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• - Martinus en Rentje Ritzema: verzet uit roeping - - RTV Noord
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