Otto Maximiliaan von Boetzelaer

Geslacht:	Man
Vader:	Willem Carel van Boetzelaer
Moeder:	Margareta Nicolasina van Schuijlenburch
Geboren:	25 Apr 1891	Maartensdijk
Overleden:	4 Aug 1954	Utrecht
Aantekeningen:	Boetzelaer van Otto (1891 - 1954 ) Personal Information Last Name: Boetzelaer van First Name: Otto Maximiliaan Title: BARON Date of Birth: 25/04/1891 Date of death: 04/08/1954 Rescuer's fate: survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Male Place during the war: Zwanenburg, Noordholland, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Zwanenburg, Noordholland, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/2945) Commemoration Date of Recognition: 28/06/1984 Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Wall of Honor Ceremony organized by Israeli diplomatic delegation in: The Hague, Netherlands Rescued Persons de Vries, Leonard Oppenheimer, Frank, Dina Frank, Gomperts, Vecht, Julie Frank, Rudolf Rescue Story Boetzelaer van, Otto Maximiliaan & Ursula Cunera (van Asch van Wijck) & Kerkhof, Nicolasina (van Vugt) Dina Frank (later Oppenheimer) graduated from Amsterdam’s Jewish secondary school just before the German invasion of Holland and went into hiding on September 7, 1942, just a few weeks after her father, Dr. Benjamin Frank, a physician, was arrested by the Gestapo. He was taken to Auschwitz, where he perished. Dina was given the address of Baron Otto van Boetzelaer and his wife Ursula, who lived on an estate called Zwanenburg, an old country home in a rather secluded woodland area not far from the town of Dinther, North Brabant. Dina’s mother, Julie Frank-Vecht (later Gomperts), and her brother, Rudolf, initially remained in Amsterdam, but on May 28, 1943, they joined Dina at the estate. The Jewish writer Leonard de Vries, a friend of Dina’s from Amsterdam also hid there. Those in hiding with the van Boetzelaers had to be very careful that no one saw them and only went outdoors on dark nights, and then only in the immediate vicinity of the estate. Otto, who was well respected locally, lived a very reclusive existence, which lessened the chances of discovery. Only a few very close neighbors knew of the presence of Jews on the estate and nobody betrayed them. Otto and Ursula prepared a small hiding place under the stairs and this is where the Jews hid during a German search. The van Boetzelaers’ young housekeeper, (Toos) Kerkhof-van Vugt* was particularly helpful to those in hiding. All three of them did everything to make their Jewish guests comfortable and Otto thought of Dina as his own daughter. Although Julie Frank paid a small sum towards her and her children’s upkeep, Otto and Ursula’s motives for rescuing them were humanitarian and religious. The van Boetzelaers had two sons, one of whom was active in the Resistance and was caught and executed by the Germans; the other son lived on his own estate in Utrecht. Allied paratroopers liberated the Franks and Leonard de Vries on September 17, 1944, although fighting continued near the house for another six weeks. On June 28, 1984, Yad Vashem recognized Baron Otto Maximiliaan van Boetzelaer and his wife, Baroness Ursula Cunera van Boetzelaer-van Asch van Wijck, and Nicolasina Kerkhof-van Vugt as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner:	Ursula Cunera van Asch van Wijck	geb. 15 Apr 1892 overl. 15 Apr 1963
Huwelijk:	14 Juli 1916	Rhenen
Kinderen:
	Rutger Wessel van Boetzelaer	geb. 23 Nov 1918
	Lodewijk Henrick Zeger Boetzelaer	geb. 11 Sept 1921 overl. 21 Dec 1944