Information Panel Resistance Fighter Helena Theodora Kuipers-Rietberg

INFORMATION PANEL RESISTANCE FIGHTER
For:
Helena Theodora Kuipers-Rietberg

Helena Theodora Kuipers-Rietberg founded the National Organization for Help to People in Hiding together with Reverend Frits Slomp in 1942. As 'Tante Riek' and 'Frits de Zwerver' they formed the basis of the largest resistance organization in the Netherlands.
Helena was aware of the persecution of the Jews early on. During the war she housed a number of Jewish people in hiding.
Helena convinced Frits to set up an organization with her to help people in hiding. The organization was set up, with local branches throughout the country. Helena was in charge. The occupier made it increasingly difficult for them and the work became more and more extensive.

The Sicherheitsdienst got a better picture of what was going on and in May 1944 things went wrong. A woman infiltrated the LO and betrayed the organization. Helena was arrested by the SD in August. Helena ended up in camp Vught and was transported there at the last minute, the Allies were almost there, to camp Ravensbrück.
In women's camp Ravensbrück, Helena's health deteriorated rapidly and she became infected with typhus. Just after Christmas 1944, the founder of the largest resistance organization that our country has known died.

The information panels in the Resistance Fighters District in Gouda are memories of important Resistance Fighters who helped many Dutch people during World War II.
To these Resistance Fighters, 16 streets are named to in Gouda.
On 10 april 2014, they finally got a face. Memory boards with photographs and information about these Resistance Fighters were revealed.
These are the streets:

Walraven van Halllaan
Van Roijenstraat
Rutgersstraat
Johannes Poststraat
Helena Rietbergstraat
Dobbestraat
Dercksenstraat
Brandsmastraat
Boelhouwerstraat
Bleysstraat
Willem Idenburgpad
Nieuwenhuisenpad
De Rijkestraat
Teldersstraat
Wiarda Beckmanhof
De Kortestraat.

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

Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Arie van Wijngaarden