Wijke Haagsma

Geslacht: Vrouw
Vader: Thomas Haagsma
Moeder: Tetje Ringia
Geboren: 9 OKT 1919 Beetgum
Overleden: 13 Jan 2016 Leeuwarden
Religie: Ned. Hervormd
Aantekeningen: 'De mannen waren bij de vakbond en wij vonden het nodig dat er ook een vrouwenbond was. Zodat je kan meepraten en meedenken over wat er in de wereld gebeurt. We konden ons verder ontwikkelen, leerden wat onze rechten waren. Ik heb nooit ruzie gemaakt met mijn werkgevers. Maar als ze het anders wilden, deed ik het toch op mijn manier.' Met twinkelende ogen: 'Ze waren altijd tevreden.' Dan serieus: 'Dankzij de vrouwenbond ben ik veel meer dan ik vroeger was.'
Haar verhaal is een levende geschiedenisles. Ouders lid van de SDAP, de voorloper van de PvdA, zij dús ook. 'En van de AJC, de Arbeiders Jeugd Centrale, de Bond van Geheelonthouders. Later kwam de VARA en we lazen Het Vrije Volk. Boodschappen deden we niet bij Simon de Wit, maar bij de Coöp, de coöperatie van de arbeiders. Met mijn vader ben ik nog op een bijeenkomst geweest waar Pieter Jelles Troelstra (SDAP-voorman; 1860-1930, red.) was.'
Volkskrant 7 juni 2013
Last Name: Tichelaar
First Name: Wijke
Maiden Name: Haagsma
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Female
Place during the war: Leeuwarden, Friesland, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Leeuwarden, Friesland, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/7804)
On July 6, 1943, a courier brought four-and-a-half-year-old Joop Gobes to the home of Thomas and Tetje Haagsma in Leeuwarden, Friesland. The Haagsmas were committed socialists who, despite their poor circumstances, considered it their duty to help people in need. Their second son, Meindert, had been a member of the Labor Youth Federation (AJC) and later joined the peace movement of the Mennonites. Through the latter organization, he came into contact with the Work Group against Military Service. Meindert's task was to find hiding places for refugees. Joop Gobes had been hospitalized in the Jewish Hospital in Amsterdam for three months. His parents, who worked in the hospital, told the Haagsmas not to worry if the boy complained about all sorts of pains, since he had been taught to pretend he was ill. Twenty-three-year-old Wijke Haagsma (later Tichelaar) effectively became Joop's foster mother while Thomas and Tetje took on the role of grandparents. Although he had a distinctive Jewish appearance, Joop was allowed into the street, where he soon picked up the Friesian language. He could not attend school, but Wijke taught him reading, writing, and arithmetic at home. All the neighbors knew the truth and there was always someone to pull Joop inside if German soldiers appeared in the street. At one point, Thomas and Meindert Haagsma feared that the Germans would draft them for forced labor in Germany. They decided to go into hiding with Thomas's parents and took Tetje and Joop with them. Thomas Haagsma, who had been working for various local farmers, found a job as a street sweeper, which he kept until his retirement. Joop's parents were murdered in Auschwitz. After the war, his uncle and aunt took him in and gave him a Jewish upbringing.
On October 9, 1997, Yad Vashem recognized Thomas Haagsma, his wife, Tetje Haagsma-Ringia, and their children, Meindert Haagsma and Wijke Tichelaar-Haagsma, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Gerrit Tichelaar geb. 2 Aug 1917 overl. 13 Nov 1983
Huwelijk: 1946 Leeuwarden