Dutch War Graves Municipal Cemetery Kerkveld (Nieuwegein)

At the municipal churchyard Kerkveld in the former municipality Jutphaas, nowadays Nieuwegein are five war victims buried. Four of them died in an incident on 7 May 1945.

They are:
- Theo Hanselaar, 26 years old. Resistance member.
- Aart Kros, 28 years old. Resistance member.
- Willem Spies, 37 years old. Civilian.
- Jan Streefkerk, 27 years old. Civilian.

Frans Luiten, also an innocent civilian, was also shot that day. He is buried on the [towid] 19243, H Nicolaaskerkhof [/ towid] in Jutphaas (Nieuwegein).

There are various lectures about the events that led to the tragic death so shortly after the liberation. The reason was a drunk German officer who would have waved a gun and threatened the party crowd. He was then shot by someone from the Interior Forces. A number of German soldiers started a pursuit in which several victims fell.

- Theo Hanselaar (BS) had fled into the town hall, jumped out of a window and then hid himself in a cupboard on Herenstraat 8. When he was discovered, the cupboard was riddled with bullets.
- Aart Kors (BS) was shot on the run in the meadow behind the town hall.
- Willem Spies fled into the meadows and was shot.
- Jan Streefkerk also fled into the meadows and was shot.
- Frans Luiten was hit by a stray bullet and died of an arterial bleeding.

On the graves of the victims is a brick monument with their names on four text plates. On a fifth text plate in the middle of the monument are the first two lines of the sixth verse of the Wilhelmus: My shield and the trust / you are, O God my Lord, followed by the date 7 May 1945.

On the square in front of the monument is a stone for Johan van Ee. He died as a member of the resistance in camp Husum-Schwesing, an outside camp of Neuengamme. He died at the age of 38 on 27-11-1944 and was reburied her after the war.

The victims are also commemorated on the [towid] 4214, war memorial [/ towid] in Jutphaas.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: René ten Dam
• Photos: Bureau Funeralia / René ten Dam
• 'Nieuwegein herdenkt op 4 mei...... - een overzicht door Piet Daalhuizen' (2014)