Tijs van Bokkem

Geslacht: Man
Vader: Maarten van Bokkem
Moeder: Johanna Wilhelmina de Jong
Geboren: 28 Juni 1915 Rotterdam
Overleden: 9 Juni 1989 Lunteren
Religie: Ger
Aantekeningen: Bokkem van Tijs (1915 - 1989 )
Personal Information
Last Name: Bokkem van
First Name: Tijs
Date of Birth: 28/06/1915
Date of death: 09/06/1989
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Male
Profession: DRAFTSMAN
Place during the war: Rotterdam, Zuidholland, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Rotterdam, Zuidholland, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
Supplying basic goods
Other
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/860)
Commemoration
Date of Recognition: 17/03/1974
Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Wall of Honor
Ceremony organized by Israeli diplomatic delegation in: The Hague, Netherlands
Rescued Persons
Fonteyn, Salomon
Rescue Story
Bokkem van, Tijs & Maartje (Villerius) &
Schroeder, Margje (Villerius)
In early 1943, Tijs and Maartje van Bokkem were approached by Maartje’s sister, Margje Villerius (later Schroeder), and asked to shelter Salomon Fonteyn. Margje, a nurse, knew the Fonteyn family through her work in the Jewish hospital in Rotterdam, where she was working despite the prohibition against non-Jews working for Jewish institutions. Tijs and Maartje agreed to hide Salomon and he was brought to their home on February 26, 1943. Tijs was a civil servant working as a technical draftsman for the Public Works Dept. in Rotterdam. He and Maartje had three children and lived on a modest income, yet they still did not ask for any financial compensation for Salomon’s living expenses. (On Salomon’s insistence, he did contribute a small payment.) Salomon was absorbed into the van Bokkem family as if he were a natural-born member. During the course of the war, several other Jews hid temporarily in the van Bokkems’ home while waiting to be transferred to other safe houses. In addition, Tijs was involved in the underground. Specifically he provided ration cards for the scores of people who required them. Salomon stayed with the van Bokkems until the end of the war despite the fact that the family was severely endangered after Margje was apprehended by the Germans and taken to the Vught camp. She was detained for over six months until the liberation. Throughout the war, the van Bokkems’ religious convictions prompted them to help the oppressed even in the face of devastating consequences.
On March 17, 1974, Yad Vashem recognized Tijs van Bokkem and his wife, Maartje van Bokkem-Villerius, and Margje Schroeder-Villerius as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Maartje Villerius geb. 7 Aug 1916 overl. 10 Juni 2003
Huwelijk: 28 Feb 1940 Rotterdam