Petrus Gijsbartus Gerards
| Geslacht: | Man | |
| Vader: | Hendrik Gerards | |
| Moeder: | Evertje Gerards | |
| Geboren: | 28 Apr 1915 | Ermelo |
| Religie: | Ned. Hervormd | |
| Beroep: | schilder | |
| Aantekeningen: | Last Name: Gerards First Name: Pieter Rescuer's fate: survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Religion: ROMAN CATHOLIC Gender: Male Place during the war: Amstelveen, Noordholland, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Amstelveen, Noordholland, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/927) Simon Reich, his wife, Frieda, and their son, Avraham, who was born in 1928 in Köln, Germany, fled to Holland in 1933. They settled in Amstelveen, North Holland, and became friends with the Gerardses, who were their neighbors. When Simon became seriously ill in 1943, Evertje Gerards suggested the family hide in their home as she had heard that the Germans gave injections to Jews who were too ill to be transported. Hendrik and Evertje Gerards were devout Christians and believed that God had appointed them to look after the Reichs. They offered the family the master bedroom and they and their son Pieter shared the other room in the apartment, which was right behind the painter's workshop. Initially, the Reichs were able to contribute to their daily expenses, but when their money ran out the Gerardses shared everything they had with them. No one knew about the Reichs except for the priest, who supplied food ration cards, and the Gerardses' family doctor, who came over whenever one of the Reichs was ill. There was a hiding place under the floorboards for the family whenever there was danger of a house search. The Gerardses were so determined to keep their presence a secret that they decided that if Pieter were drafted, he should report for labor in Germany, but fortunately the situation never arose. Hendrik, Evertje and Pieter always tried to make the Reichs' lives as pleasant as possible. They even went out of their way to try to make sure the food was kosher and to prepare dishes and utensils for Passover. On April 23, 1975, Yad Vashem recognized Hendrik Gerards, his wife, Evertje Gerards, and their son Pieter Gerards as Righteous Among the Nations. |
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