Cornelis Groenleer

Geslacht: Man
Vader: Cornelis Groenleer
Moeder: Lena Rotte
Geboren: 17 Dec 1872 Burgh
Overleden: 27 Apr 1961 Kortgene
Beroep: koopman in vodden en oud ijzer
Aantekeningen: Last Name: Groenleer
First Name: Kees
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Male
Profession: EMPLOYEE
Place during the war: Colijnsplaat, Zeeland, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Colijnsplaat, Zeeland, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/8961)
Kees Groenleer, lived with his wife, Lena, and five of his children in a modest home in the village of Colijnsplaat (prov. Zeeland, North Beveland Island). He was an employee in a firm owned by Mozes Polak that dealt in old clothing and metals. In the spring of 1942, Mozes Polak, his wife, Roza (née Ziff) and their children Ada, twelve, and Louis, ten, all living in nearby Middelburg, were forced to move to the Jewish section of Amsterdam. This was a result of the German policy to concentrate the Jewish population from the outer provinces into the big cities. Earlier, in 1940, they had tried to reach Switzerland, but once they had reached northern France, they were forced to return. While in Amsterdam, the Polaks were determined to evade the deportations that started at July 1942. At that point, Kees Groenleer offered to hide them in his home, seeing it his duty as a good Christian. After Groenleer's son Arjaan obtained false identity papers for the Polaks, father and son Groenleer picked them up in Amsterdam and accompanied them to Rotterdam by train. There a boat was waiting to take them to Zeeland. Covered by the darkness of night, the Polaks reached the Groenleer home and were given a room upstairs. Having Jews in hiding was especially risky in the province of Zeeland, because of the heavy German presence along the coastline used for their Atlantic Wall defenses. The Polak family thus stayed indoors at all times. Mozes Polak participated in the extra expenses and Roza and Ada knitted clothing that Arjaan then exchanged for food. In case of imminent danger, the Polaks were to hide under a large pile of old clothing in the courtyard. In a number of cases, when German soldiers were billeting homes close by, Arjaan succeeded in locating temporary hideouts in the area, until he was able to take the Polaks back to his parents' home. In addition, Arjaan contacted another Polak daughter, offering to hide her and her husband in their home as well. They did not accept the offer, and were soon afterwards caught and incarcerated in the Vught (Herzogenbusch) concentration camp. The Groenleers sent them food during their stay there, until they were deported. The Polak family stayed for over two years until November 1944, when the province of Zeeland was liberated. They stayed in touch with the Groenleers after the war and Mozes Polak donated a new bell to the local church as a token of his appreciation.
On June 25, 2000, Yad Vashem recognized Kees and Lena Groenleer and their son Arjaan, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Jozina van Dis geb. 1872 overl. 24 Nov 1918
Huwelijk: 12 MRT 1908 Kats
Kinderen:
  Cornelis Adriaan Groenleer Male geb. 4 Feb 1909
  Adriaan Groenleer Male geb. 25 Feb 1910 overl. 1 MRT 1910
  Elisabeth Groenleer Male geb. 19 Apr 1911
  Leendert Groenleer Male geb. 23 Juli 1912
  Adriaan Groenleer Male geb. 19 Aug 1913 overl. 13 Dec 2003
  Dingenus Groenleer Male geb. 12 Dec 1914

Gezin 2

Huwelijkspartner: Lena Jerina Geelhoed geb. 13 Dec 1899
Huwelijk: 30 MRT 1921 Colijnsplaat