Tamis Commandeur

Geslacht: Man
Vader: Johannes Commandeur
Moeder: Maria Entius
Geboren: 11 Aug 1892 Blokker
Overleden: 3 Jan 1977 Hoogkarspel
Beroep: veehouder
Aantekeningen: Last Name: Commandeur
First Name: Thamis
Date of Birth: 11/08/1892
Date of death: 03/01/1977
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Male
Place during the war: Hoogkarspel, Noordholland, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Hoogkarspel, Noordholland, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/9858)
Thamis Commandeur, in his fifties, was living on the family farm in Hoogkarspel (prov. North-Holland), when the war broke out. Thamis was widowed in December 1943, and remained on the farm with his five daughters and a son, some of them already adults, and a brother. The family was deeply religious. In January 1944, he was approached by an underground group to hide 18-year-old Stephanie Tikotin for a short period. Stephanie had to leave an earlier hiding address, and a temporary station was urgently needed. Commandeur responded positively. However, when a next address was indeed found for her, Commandeur and his children had reached a common decision that they wanted Stephanie to stay. Stephanie, born in Dresden, Germany, had come to the Netherlands in 1938 with one of the Kindertransports. Her parents, Siegfried and Dorothea (née Herrmann), followed later and the family had settled in Bussum. In July 1942, with the start of deportations of Jews for “work in the East”, the Tikotins had decided to go into hiding instead, and turned to members of a local underground group. Stephanie quickly integrated very well into the Commandeur family. She now answered to the name, Tiny de Lange. No one knew about her presence with the Commandeurs. A special hiding area in the haystack was prepared, that was to be used in case of house searches. When visitors and friends came, Stephanie stayed out of sight. The Commandeurs also hid Allied pilots from time to time as well as resistance workers who needed temporary shelter. They fully realized the risk they were taking by hiding Stephanie as well as the others. They trusted, however, that daily prayer would protect them. Stephanie stayed with the Commandeurs until the liberation of the area in May 1945. Her parents had been caught, deported and murdered. Contact between the Commandeurs and Stephanie continued after the war, even after Stephanie’s emigration to Australia.
On December 8, 2002, Yad Vashem recognized Thamis Commandeur as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Catharina Maria Mul geb. 22 Feb 1892 overl. 11 Dec 1943
Huwelijk: 5 MEI 1920 Uitgeest

Gezin 2

Huwelijkspartner: Elisabeth Groot
Huwelijk: 3 Apr 1967 Grootebroek