Jan Christiaens
| Geslacht: | Man | |
| Vader: | Gerard Christiaens | |
| Moeder: | Arnoldina Gerards | |
| Geboren: | 4 MEI 1884 | Horst |
| Overleden: | 20 Jan 1952 | Horst |
| Beroep: | tuinier | |
| Aantekeningen: | Last Name: Christiaens First Name: Jan Date of Birth: 04/05/1884 Date of death: 20/01/1952 Rescuer's fate: survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Religion: CATHOLIC Gender: Male Place during the war: Horst, Limburg, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Horst, Limburg, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/8063) During the war, Jan and Hendrica Christiaens, devout Catholics living in Horst, Limburg, informed their church that they were prepared to hide a Jewish child, preferably a girl, on their farm, where they lived with their three children. Thus, in the fall of 1942, two Resistance men disguised in German uniforms brought four-year-old Lenie de Groot, who had been instructed not to reveal her real name, Lea Sanowsky, to the Christiaenses. Lea was in a poor state when she arrived---she had sores on her face and body, lice, and torn clothes. With the assistance of the family doctor, Lea soon recovered and began to feel quite at home with the loving and caring Christiaens family. Leas father, originally from Lodz, had been sent to Mauthausen, and killed. Lea moved between several addresses before finally arriving at the Christiaens family in Horst. The Christiaens couple took a great risk by taking Lea into their home, especially as she was so dark. However, they were prompted by their religious beliefs; they even refused to accept the money offered to them by the Resistance and insisted that it be given to more needy people. They told people that Lenie was a niece who had escaped from the bombed-out city of Rotterdam, but the family and Lea were fully aware of the danger they were all in. A hideout was built for the fugitive child in a cupboard. On one occasion, the Christiaens family was betrayed and soldiers searched their home while holding a pistol to Jans head. After the war, it took some time for Leas mother to find her child and when she eventually did, Lea was unhappy about leaving her foster family. On May 5, 1998, Yad Vashem recognized Jan Christiaens and his wife, Hendrica Christiaens-Evers, as Righteous Among the Nations. |
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Gezin 1
| Huwelijkspartner: | Hendrica Evers | geb. 4 OKT 1889 overl. 23 Apr 1982 |
| Huwelijk: | 13 MEI 1916 | Deurne |