Unveiling of the Mies and Frans Braal Memorial

How special it is to be here together this morning in Oostvoorne for a truly special moment: the unveiling of a memorial plaque for Mies and Frans Braal. And it’s even more special because we’re joined by people who were hidden by the couple themselves, as well as the children and grandchildren of Mies and Frans. It’s so wonderful that you’re here! And a very special welcome to the children and grandchildren of Mr. and Mrs. Braal, all the way from Canada. I’m afraid I have to continue in Dutch, but I have provided you with an English copy of this speech. And a special thank you to the residents of Zandweg 54 for their hospitality and for making this moment possible.

In October, we commemorated the brave evangelist Leendert van der Meer at the Sipkesslag in Oostvoorne. On December 4, we commemorated the Koene brothers at the Meeldijk in Zwartewaal. On December 6, we commemorated Father Jan and his sons Willem and Henk van der Zee, Johannes Groeneveld, Willem de Waal, and Cornelis Langedoen at the dunes in Rockanje. On December 19, we commemorated Jan and Hugo Hoogvliet. Last month, on May 4 and 5, we reflected on 81 years of liberation and freedom and commemorated those who fell in World War II and the wars that followed. And last week, on June 6, we commemorated the fact that 82 years ago, Operation Overlord—the Allied invasion of Normandy—began, the invasion that marked the start of Europe’s liberation.

We don’t commemorate these events for no reason. All these commemorations are of immense significance. They serve to remind us time and again just how fragile our freedom is, and that the freedom of so many so often depends on the courage and sacrifice of others.

And today is Monday, June 15. And once again, we’re adding another link to the chain of commemorations.

But these commemorations also mean something else. They mean that we never stop reflecting on our history. And how that history came to be. It’s remarkable that, by continuing to delve into our history, new stories sometimes come to light. Stories we may have known a little about, but which turned out to have an even greater significance. Stories whose protagonists deserve to be told even now—or perhaps especially now. And the story of Mies and Frans Braal is exactly such a story.

Mies and Frans Braal were truly remarkable people. Fearless, brave, but above all, very determined. Their contributions to the resistance against the German occupiers—and especially to the lives of so many people during the war—were of great significance. I already briefly mentioned the Braals in my speech on May 4, and it gives me great pleasure today to be able to reflect more extensively on their great achievements.

For it is quite evident that their contributions were significant. The Braals settled on Zandweg in Oostvoorne in 1938 and, from late 1941 onward, became the linchpin of the nonviolent resistance against the German occupiers. They forged identity cards, disseminated information, and—most importantly—ultimately provided shelter to dozens of vulnerable people: Jewish children, malnourished city children, and downed wartime pilots. During the merciless “Hunger Winter” of ’44–’45 alone, no fewer than 26 people in hiding found a safe haven with Frans and Mies. As an employee of the Provincial Water Management Department, Frans would often set out with a forged identity card and cross the heavily guarded Spijkenisse Bridge without batting an eye. In his wake, he would take “work crews” with him—who were, in reality, resistance fighters or people in hiding. They were first sheltered on Zandweg and later on Groeneweg.

And it was the clever Mies who managed to arrange everything in Oostvoorne so that large groups of people could be sheltered without anyone being discovered. Her organizational skills and mental agility proved to be extraordinary.

The story of Canadian pilot Philip Pochailo is a prime example of Mies Braal’s composure. After his Lancaster bomber was shot down and he landed by parachute in a meadow near Nieuwenhoorn, he ended up at the Braal family’s home after taking a detour. A striking detail: he had been given the alias Henk Poldervaart, a name that was—and still is—very common on Voorne Putten.

One day, Pochailo was in the kitchen of the house on Groeneweg with Mies when, quite unexpectedly, a German officer suddenly appeared in the kitchen. The German said he was looking for a suitable location for a field hospital and asked Mies who this man was. “Oh, that’s my cousin,” Mies replied very firmly. Not long after, the officer returned with the message that he hadn’t found a suitable location. He said goodbye to Mies Braal and wished her the best of luck with her “cousin.”

A fascinating anecdote about Mies’s composure and a German officer who understood perfectly well what was going on but still chose to look the other way. It illustrates just how risky the Braals’ work was and that danger was always lurking. The fact that they were able to successfully help so many people go into hiding, in addition to their other resistance activities, remains a fascinating display of daring, ingenuity, and courage.

Amid all these incredibly exciting stories, something else emerges. When you consider how the Canadian pilot Pochailo ended up with the Braals, it’s clear that this could only have happened through well-coordinated cooperation among multiple resistance groups. And it becomes evident that there was significant overlap between the activities of Leendert van der Meer, the Langedoen family, the van der Zee family, and the Hoogvliet father and son. In fact, Alan Sinden, the British pilot who was shot down and discovered by the Germans by chance while staying with the Hoogvliets, had initially gone into hiding with Frans and Mies Braal. In other words: all those brave resistance fighters were not acting alone. They worked together. Often within well-organized networks. It is very likely that Leendert van der Meer, the Koene brothers, and the Langendoen and Van der Zee families knew one another. And that is now, more than 80 years later, increasingly coming to light.

There is, however, a fundamental difference between Mies and Frans Braal and those many other resistance fighters. The Braals survived the war, emigrated to Canada, and although they have received numerous honors in both the U.S. and Canada, they have actually fallen somewhat into obscurity here. And that is by no means justified.

And that is why it is all the more meaningful to pay these two extraordinary, brave people the tribute they deserve here in Oostvoorne today, posthumously, in the presence of their children and grandchildren—and even the people they saved. We have so much to learn from this down-to-earth, brave, and resourceful couple. Their actions inspire us to cherish our freedom all the more. We owe them an immense debt of gratitude, and it is a great honor for me to express that gratitude here.

I would also like to express my gratitude to Edwin Langstraat and Bouwen Torreman. Thanks to their research, we have learned about many new facets of history. This is truly top-notch historical research and deserves high praise. I would therefore like to say: the findings about Frans and Mies Braal from this important study inspire us to continue the research. So let’s keep researching. Keep commemorating. And keep learning. Then the actions of Frans and Mies Braal will not have been in vain.

Thank you.