Johan Aaldrik "Han" Stijkel (October 8, 1911 – June 4, 1943) was a Dutch resistance fighter.
Student Han Stijkel was the religion-inspired leader of one of the first
underground groups, the ‘Stijkel group’.
Queer
Places:
Morelstraat 11, 2564 XA Den Haag, Netherlands
Westduin Cemetery
The Hague (Den Haag), Den Haag Municipality, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Johan Aaldrik "Han" Stijkel (October 8, 1911 – June 4, 1943) was a Dutch resistance fighter.
Student Han Stijkel was the religion-inspired leader of one of the first
underground groups, the ‘Stijkel group’.
Han Stijkel studied English at the University of Amsterdam. Even then, he was involved in the resistance against fascism. He also participated in resistance actions against Franco during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Stijkel was close friends with Jacob Schorer, the driving force behind the Dutch Scientific Humanitarian Committee, the first Dutch organisation to work for equal rights for homosexuals. On 10 May 1940, together with Henri François, he helped Schorer destroy his archive and member administration. Soon after, he began setting up a group to fight the German occupiers. This group probably consisted of about 80 people, including Maj. Gen. Hasselman - as well as students, officers and entrepreneurs. Stijkel's pseudonym was Dr. Eerland de Vries. The Stijkel group named after J.A. Stijkel was aimed at transferring information about the German occupation to England. In doing so, the necessary 'beginner errors' were made, which caused the occupying forces to follow the resistance group. Among other things, the notorious traitor Anton van der Waals managed to infiltrate. On April 2, 1941, the group was arrested when it wanted to sail out of the port of Scheveningen. It was not until September 1942 that the group was tried in Berlin.[1] Han Stijkel was killed first. In the prison of Scheveningen (Oranjehotel) Han Stijkel shared a cell with Willem Harthoorn. In his book Forbidden to Die, Harthoorn describes his own captivity in the Oranjehotel and in concentration camps and thus the last six months of Han Stijkel's life in the Netherlands. A monument has been erected at the Westduin cemetery to commemorate the members of the Stijkel group. It has 43 sandstone crosses. The remains of 33 people who were executedin Berlin - are buried there. Of 10 people, the remains were never found.
Han Stijkel is named in various places. Among others in the Noordoostpolder: the Han Stijkelweg, the Han Stijkeltocht (a waterway) and the care place Han Stijkel along the A6. In the Duttendel district in The Hague is the Han Stijkelplein. Surrounding streets there are named after other resistance heroes. Until 2003, a school building called Han Stijkel, part of Dalton The Hague, stood on the Laan van Meerdervoort 1764.
My published books:
