Stumbling Stone Nieuwe Markt 30-31

This small, brass plaque (Stolperstein, Struikelsteen, or stumbling stone) commemorates:

* Johanna Maria Koetsier, born 1887, female resistance fighter, arrested 28 January 1944, murdered 5 March 1945, Ravensbrück.

Background

Johanna Maria Koetsier ("Annie") was born in 1887, a year after her sister Maria. From 1985, their parents owned the "Café de Zon" at this location (then Nieuwe Markt 40), and the café was still on an address list in 1917. They died in the 1930s, and it is likely that the two sisters took over the café.

On 28 January 1944, Annie was arrested at her home and taken in handcuffs to the House of Detention in Arnhem. She had been been working for the illegal newspaper called Trouw, and her arrest was one of a series of arrests of Trouw people. Then in February she was moved to the German Police and Remand Prison in Haaren near Den Bosch. In March she was transferred to concentration camp Vught. On September 9, 1944, she was moved by train to the women’s concentration camp, Ravensbrück, where she was killed on 5 March 1945.

"Stolpersteine" is an art project for Europe by Gunter Demnig to commemorate victims of National Socialism (Nazism). Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) are small, 10x10cm brass plaques placed in the pavement in front of the last voluntary residence of (mostly Jewish) victims who were murdered by the Nazis. Each plaque is engraved victim’s with the name, year of birth, and place (mostly a concentration camp) and date of death. By doing this, Gunter Demnig gives an individual memorial to each victim. One stone, one name, one person. He cites the Talmud: "A human being is forgotten only when his or her name is forgotten."

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Source

• Text: Anne Palmer
• Photos: Suzanne Matrosov-Vruggink (1), Suzanne Matrosov-Vruggink (2), Gert de Vries en Wil Kanis (3)
• Struikelsteenen in Deventer: Johanna Maria Koetsier
• Stolpersteine.eu