Verhaal

Righteous Among the Nations

Two men risked their lives in an attempt to save Maurits and his family

Door: Ella Levie

Maurits van Voolen and his family were in hiding during the war. His wife and two daughters were discovered and arrested on 26 May 1943 and sent to Westerbork. Maurits' youngest daughter, Annelise, perished in the camp, likely due to tuberculosis. His older daughter was deathly ill with the same disease and her parents were desperate to get her help. 

A pediatrician named Philip Fiedeldij Dop smuggled Maurits' wife and sick daughter out of Westerbork. Mom re-entered hiding while Dr. Dop took the child to the Jewish CIZ hospital. However, an order for the hospital to be evacuated came in the summer of 1943 and Dr. Dop rushed to the hospital to smuggle out Maurits' daughter. He allegedly just managed to get Maurits' daughter out of the building as police were entering. 

Dr. Dop brought Maurits' daughter to St. Anthonius Catholic Hospital in Sneek, Friesland, where she was placed under the care of another physician, Dr. George Disse. Dr. Disse hid many children at his hospital in Sneek. During her recovery, Maurits' daughter allegedly trusted no one but Dr. Disse to feed her, so Dr. Disse obliged. Dr. Disse fed the child daily for almost two years.

Maurits' daughter survived the war under Dr. Disse's care. Maurits' wife was eventually rediscovered and arrested again; she was deported to Auschwitz but survived the war. Maurits' daughter and wife were reunited in June 1945. Unfortunately, Maurits perished and did not return home. 

The links to the pages on Dr. Dop and Dr. Disse are at the bottom of Maurits van Voolen's Joods Monument page. Both Righteous survived the war.