Antonia Johanna Theodora Arts

Geslacht: Vrouw
Vader: Bernard Arnold Arts
Moeder: Geurtje Henriët Baar
Geboren: 23 MEI 1908 Batenburg
Aantekeningen: Last Name: Boven van
First Name: Antonia Johanna Theodora
Maiden Name: Arts
Date of Birth: 23/05/1908
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Female
Place during the war: The Hague, Zuidholland, The Netherlands, Batenburg, Gelderland, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: The Hague, Zuidholland, The Netherlands, Batenburg, Gelderland, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding Arranging shelter
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/3470)
Dr. Jitschak Spangenthal was living with his wife, Mirjam, and their five children in Amsterdam. As a Jew, Jitschak was forced to close down his practice completely in February 1942. By July 1942, when the deportation of Jews to the Westerbork transit camp began, a number of Jitschak's former patients offered to hide the members of his family. Mirjam and five-year-old Nehemja went to a village near Amsterdam and Jitschak hid in a warehouse in the city. After a short while Mirjam joined her husband in hiding in the warehouse, and when the situation became too precarious Antonia van Boven suggested that they move to her parents' home in Batenburg. Jitschak declined but Mirjam accepted the offer. Soon afterwards, Antonia managed to convince Jitschak to join his wife. In the meantime, two of the Spangenthals' daughters were taken to the home of Harmen and Antonia van Boven in The Hague, South Holland. Since the van Bovens lived near the coast, they were evacuated soon after the girls arrived and they too moved to Batenburg, Gelderland, taking the two fugitive girls with them. However, too many people in this small village learned about the two hidden girls and thus the van Bovens and their charges' lives were endangered. It was thus decided to move the two girls elsewhere. During all this time Antonia had secretly kept in close contact with the Spangenthals' son who was hiding in Amsterdam. Mirjam stayed in Batenburg for a short time while trying to locate a new hideout for Nehemja. Hendrikus van de Bovenkamp, also from Batenburg and a friend of the van Bovens, helped her. Hendrikus suggested that they hide in the Protestant church where he was the sexton. Mirjam took him up on his offer and Antonia van Boven succeeded in finding a shelter for Nehemja in Amsterdam. She personally escorted him there and he stayed there for the remainder of the war. While hidden in the church, Hendrikus and his wife Hermina, who was the cleaning lady at the church, took care of Mirjam's daily needs. After some time Mirjam's husband Jitschak joined her there. The couple stayed in the church for 14 months, until the liberation of the area in September 1944. Hendrikus constructed a special hideaway for the fugitive couple under the organ that could be used in times of danger. The van Bovens and the van de Bovenkamps acted entirely on their initiative and they believed it to be their human and religious duty to help save the lives of their Jewish compatriots.
On September 8, 1986, Yad Vashem recognized Harmen Leendert van Boven and his wife, Antonia Johanna Theodora van Boven-Arts, and Hendrikus van de Bovenkamp and his wife, Hermina Cornelia van de Bovenkamp-van Schie, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Harmen Leendert van Boven geb. 21 Sept 1903 overl. 14 Nov 1984
Huwelijk: XXXX onbekend