Monument Betty Friederika Maarzen

On May 5, 1916, Betty Friederika Maarzen was born into a Jewish family in Amsterdam. Her father was probably a diamond cutter and the family was quite wealthy. Betty was 23 years old when she met Wouter Glashouwer. Wouter, from Woudsend, was a farmhand for Berend K. Okma at the end of the Koetshuislaan. He was called up for military service in connection with the mobilization in 1939 and was seconded to a Hussar regiment in Amsterdam. The marriage took place in Amsterdam on 11 February 1942. Betty was not registered in the population register of Wijmbritseradeel until July 28, 1942, but she probably came to Woudsend immediately after the marriage with Wouter. They went to live with the Glashouwer family in the now no longer existing house on the corner of Skil and Molenstraat. Wouter had returned to work for farmer Okma and thus earned a living. Betty helped with the housework, played the piano and regularly appeared on the street wearing the Star of David.

Then came that fateful day in November 1942 when police Attema had to tell her that he had to come and take her to Sneek in half an hour because she was a Jew. Fleeing or going into hiding did not occur to Betty. After all, she had married a Christian and that is why she would soon be back in Woudsend. When Attema came for the second time, to his surprise Betty was already waiting with her briefcase with a towel, soap and the like. He then had no choice but to accompany the willing Betty to Sneek by bicycle.

Betty would never see Woudsend, her family and her husband Wouter again. From Sneek she was transferred to Westerbork and from there on November 16th she was deported to Auschwitz, where almost all prisoners were immediately killed upon arrival. Her parents and brothers suffered the same terrible fate.

In the 'In Memoriam books' published by the War Graves Foundation, 17 November is stated as Betty's date of death. However, after the Second World War, the Information Bureau of the Netherlands Red Cross conducted research into, among other things, the transports from Westerbork. It turned out that the transport of 16 November only arrived at the extermination camp three days later. The Red Cross therefore maintains 19 November 1942 as the date of death of Betty Friederika Glashouwer-Maarzen.

Wouter was married to Betty for only 9 months. Betty's death was only registered in the population register on July 5, 1950. Wouter then remarried and had a son and daughter. From 1946 he was employed by Philips in Eindhoven, where he died at the age of 51.

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Source

• Text: Bert Deelman
• Photos: Bert Deelman
• Woudsend online