Soetje Mandemakers

Geslacht:	Vrouw
Vader:	Cornelis Mandemakers
Moeder:	Adriana Gerdina Boeser
Geboren:	15 Apr 1909	Capelle
Aantekeningen:	Last Name: Brouwers First Name: Soet Maiden Name: Mandemakers Alias: SOETJE Date of Birth: 15/04/1909 Rescuer's fate: survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Female Place during the war: Sprang Capelle, Noordbrabant, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Sprang Capelle, Noordbrabant, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/5235) Dora Blok, a young Jewish woman, moved to North Brabant in 1942, where she worked as a farmer's servant using her Aryan alias, Greetje Verhagen. Unhappy in her job, she later found work with the Brouwers family through a friend of Soet (Soetje) Brouwers. Karel and Soetje lived with their five children on a farm in Sprang-Capelle. Relying on her fake Aryan papers, Dora hid the truth about her origins but later, when a Jewish fugitive was brought to the house, she decided to reveal the truth. The Brouwerses insisted that she stay although she had to relocate temporarily to an address in Utrecht when rumors that she was Jewish began to spread through the village. When Dora returned to the family after a couple of months, the Brouwerses had taken in another fugitive, Salomon Abraham Cohen of Rotterdam, who had been placed there via Karel's brother-in-law. Salomon also had fake papers, passing under the name of Jan van Wijk. While Dora worked as a housekeeper, Salomon was employed in the dairy, milking the cows and selling the milk. The Brouwers couple treated the two refugees like members of the family, but also insisted on paying them for their labor. A hideaway was dug out under the kitchen floor for emergencies. It was concealed by a set of wooden shelves and a playpen. An escape route was also carefully planned, leading through the fields to the home of Soetje's parents, the Mandemakers. Despite the fact that the Brouwerses' home was searched on several occasions, no one was ever discovered. After the liberation, Dora and Salomon, whose families had perished in the death camps, got married. Karel and Soetje acted as their witnesses. The close relationship between the couples was continued by the next generation. On June 30, 1992, Yad Vashem recognized Karel Brouwers and his wife, Soet Brouwers-Mandemakers, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner:	Karel Brouwers	geb. 14 OKT 1910
Huwelijk:	2 Feb 1932	Sprang-Capelle