Memorial Kapelaan Böcker

Johannes Gijsbertus Böcker, born on October 2, 1909 in Oosterbeek, murdered September 25, 1944 in Groningen.
He was a Dutch Roman Catholic clergyman and resistance fighter during the Second World War.

In Groningen, chaplain Böcker soon became involved in the resistance. He helped distribute ration cards for people in hiding, collected money for the benefit of the illegality and, with his pastor F.J. Shoemaker actually provides shelter for people in hiding.

In the summer of 1944, the Silbertanne Kommando Groningen planned an attack on pastor Schoenmaker. The attack was to be committed by Gerrit Lourens, who, after being injured on the Eastern Front, was employed at the SS staff quarters in the Scholtenhuis in Groningen. Just before the attack, Lourens and his companion a certain Jebbink in the Oosterpark district distributed pamphlets, which were to give the impression that the attack still to be committed at that time was the work of the Bolsheviks. Then the men rang the bell at the rectory of the Saint Francis Church. The housekeeper opened the door and asked for Pastor Schoenmaker, she answered truthfully that the pastor, who had been in hiding for some time in Friesland, was not at home. The robbers then ordered her to fetch the chaplain. Chaplain Böcker appeared at the door not much later, after which he was immediately shot.

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