Memorial Anje Lok

The school, on which this monument in honor of Anje Lok (born on December 8, 1903 in Siegerswoude) is attached, was built in 1930. Meester Lok became the first principal of this school. He is described as a confidant to many, who has meant a lot to the village. As a nature lover and biologist, he taught people to enjoy the beautiful nature that surrounds the village.

During the Second World War, he was a staunch advocate of nonviolent resistance. His deepest belief was that all people are essentially equal and should therefore be given equal opportunities. He helped people in hiding by providing them with shelter, for example in the attic of the school, and ration cards. Hans Slosch, a Jewish boy, lived at his house. A fellow teacher at the school of Lok was a member of the NSB, which made Lok's resistance work more difficult. Hans was therefore placed in a safer place. The colleague was aware of Lok's activities and passed this on to the occupier.

In the night of 19 to 20 May 1944, the doorbell rang at Lok, who lived in a house next to the school. Two plainclothes men, who identified themselves with SS ID cards, asked Lok to accompany him to give a testimony in Assen. His wife, daughter (11 years old) and son watched Lok, while he went with the men. The men reassuringly told Lok's wife that her husband would be back home soon. The men then shot Lok dead at the garden gate. The men then ran to a car and drove off with the lights off.

Later it turned out that this drama was a retaliation for the attack on land warden Kees Hartenhof. This kind of 'Silbertanne' murders took place between September 1943 and September 1944. For an attack on one Dutch collaborator, three "Deutschfeindliche" Dutchmen were often shot without any form of trial. Within a year about 50 anti-German Dutch were murdered in this way.

A Silbertanne action was intended as a reprisal and to deter people. That is why a prominent person of public renown was chosen, who the occupier knew was critical of the German occupation. For those reasons, Lok has become a target. It has never become known who carried out the Silbertanne murder on Lok.

In Ravenswoud there is a Meester Lokstraat and the school is called Meester Loksschool. Every year in May, the students commemorate their principal Lok.

Additional further information from the Historical Society Appelscha e.o.

May 21th, 2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the brutal murder of Anje Lok by the henchmen of the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) during World War II.

In the evening of May 19th, 1944, Lok told his wife that he had hidden coupon cards for the people in hiding in the empty stove in a storage room. That same night his doorbell rang. Two men asked if Lok would go with them to give a witness statement in the town of Assen. While his wife and two children watched him walk away in the dark, Lok was shot dead by the two SS-men in the garden of his home (next to the school).

In 1948, the school was named Meester Lokschool and a memorial was unveiled on the side wall.

The memorial was created by sculptor Mrs. Nina Baanders-Kessler from Hilversum. In her work, she delicately expressed what was so important in Anje Lok's life: his love for nature. The monument depicts a girl surrounded by flowers and birds, symbolizing youth in the midst of budding nature. The memorial was unveiled by two students of the school, namely Lieneke Huberts and Tjikkie van der Duin, by cutting the ribbons of the Frisian flag with which the stone was covered.

Until 2015, Master Lok was commemorated annually by the teachers and students of the Master Lok School. After the school closed, the HVA (Appelscha Historical Society) took over the commemoration, starting in 2017. Every year, daughter Janny Lok, family members, (school) friends of Janny and members of the HVA gather around May 19th to commemorate Master Lok. At this year's gathering, memories of Master Lok were shared. Among other things, cousin Lieneke Huberts told about the unveiling of the memorial. It then became clear that this took place on May 22nd, 1948 and not, as stated on various websites, at the 25th anniversary of the Master Lok School in 1955.