Johannes Willem Hafmans
| Geslacht: | Man | |
| Vader: | Bernardus Hendrikus Hafmans | |
| Moeder: | Catharina Helena Hubertina van Lijpzigh | |
| Geboren: | 25 Juni 1916 | Arcen en Velden |
| Aantekeningen: | Last Name: Hafmans First Name: Jan Willem Date of Birth: 25/06/1916 Rescuer's fate: survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Religion: ROMAN CATHOLIC Gender: Male Profession: PRIEST Place during the war: Venlo, Limburg, The Netherlands ; Etten en Leur, Noordbrabant, The Netherlands ; Gendringen, Gelderland, The Netherlands ; T Ven, Limburg, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Venlo, Limburg, The Netherlands ; T Ven, Limburg, The Netherlands ; Etten en Leur, Noordbrabant, The Netherlands ; Gendringen, Gelderland, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding Arranging shelter File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/2665) On January 4, 1944, 25-year-old Hanna Polak (later Waterman) fled from Amsterdam to Venlo, Limburg. She had obtained a false identity card and was taken to various hiding addresses. Eventually, in September 1944, Hanna arrived at the home of Jan Hafmans and his sister, Catharina. Jan Hafmans was a young Roman Catholic priest who had been ordained in March 1940. He was a tall, strong man and was especially active in the Resistance. Jan lived with his sister, Catharina (Toos). The siblings warmly welcomed Hanna into their home. The two women were about the same age and became good friends. The Hafmanses told people that their guest was a cousin from Amsterdam who had come to Venlo in search of food. When the war zone began to move northwards, the Hafmanses moved to ´t Ven, where their brother lived with his wife and six children. Hanna accompanied Jan and Toos to this new address. In January 1945, the Germans decreed total evacuation of Venlo and on January 18 Jan led 174 people out of the city on foot, through snow and air attacks. The group journeyed for nine days through German territory, to Gendringen, Gelderland. However, Gendringen proved to be too dangerous and five members of the group of evacuees, including Jan, Toos, and Hanna continued to a farm in Etten, where they stayed until that area was liberated on March 31, 1945. When Jan and Toos returned to Venlo, they discovered that their house had been ransacked and looted. They were offered an alternative residence, which Hanna shared with them, as all her family had perished and she had nowhere else to go. That June, Hanna managed to get a job as a nurse in Eindhoven. Jan provided her with her first uniform. Jan Hafmans received citations for his services to his community and to his church, from both the Dutch royal family and from the Pope. Toos also received a royal award for her contribution. On September 27, 1983, Yad Vashem recognized Jan Willem Hafmans and his sister, Catharina Jacoba Hafmans, as Righteous Among the Nations. |
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