Wilhelmus Arts

Geslacht: Man
Vader: Henricus Aloijsius Arts
Moeder: Josina Tiellemans
Geboren: 13 Sept 1904 Megen
Overleden: 8 Aug 1979
Beroep: timmerman
Aantekeningen: Personal Information
Last Name: Arts
First Name: Wilhelmus
Alias: WIM
Date of Birth: 13/09/1904
Date of death: 08/08/1979
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Religion: ROMAN CATHOLIC
Gender: Male
Profession: CARPENTER
Rescue
Place during the war: Haren, Noordbrabant, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Haren, Noordbrabant, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/7153)
Commemoration
Date of Recognition: 23/06/1996
Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Wall of Honor
Ceremony organized by Israeli diplomatic delegation in: The Hague, Netherlands
Rescued Persons
Levitus
Rescue Story
Arts, Wilhelmus & Elizabeth Maria Johanna (Nillesen)
As an essential worker Cäcilie Levitus, who was employed in the crèche for Jewish children in Amsterdam, escaped deportation in September 1943. She went into hiding under the name Lamberta Kroon, equipped with false papers. Cäcilie’s former teachers, Maria Hoefsmit* and Cornelia Ouweleen*, put her in touch with Wilhelmus (Wim) and Elizabeth Arts in Haren, North Brabant, and Cornelia took her there by train. Wim met them at the station and took Cäcilie home in his cart. He was a carpenter and wagon builder living with his wife, Elizabeth, and their four children in this predominantly Roman Catholic village near Oss. Cäcilie was introduced as the niece of a Dutch soldier the family knew from the city of Rotterdam, which had been heavily bombed. She was called Lamberta and everyone was told she was Protestant and thus she avoided having to go to church with the family on Sundays. She had her own room and was treated well, and in turn, she helped out around the house. When a house search was anticipated, she hid in the house or in the cornfields, sometimes for hours. Apart from ration cards, Wim and Elizabeth received no money for hiding Cäcilie. They knew that hiding Jews was a crime but they took the risk out of compassion for the persecuted. One day in October 1943, Elizabeth heard that some people in the village, including a NSB collaborator, suspected that Cäcilie was Jewish. That evening, Wim took Cäcilie to Frans Wijnakker*, his underground contact, who lived in a neighboring village. Frans and Mien (Itermina) Wijnakker had four children and were already hiding several Jews, but they welcomed Cäcilie until a safe place could be found for her. She stayed for three months and then moved in with the van der Aar* family in nearby Ravenstein, where she stayed until the liberation. After the war, Cäcilie remained in close contact with Elizabeth Arts and her children.
On June 23, 1996, Yad Vashem recognized Wilhelmus Arts and his wife, Elizabeth Arts, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Elisabeth Maria Johanna Nillesen geb. 25 Apr 1900 overl. 25 Juli 1979
Huwelijk: XXXX onbekend