Five Brothers and a War

Razzia at the Neighbors’ House

The first time the hiding place was used in a real situation was relatively early in the Dutch component of the war, although the Germans did not actually enter the van Pelt house. At the time of the war, the Margrietstraat had just ten houses. The next door neighbor, living at Margrietstraat 18, was named Sluiter. Mr. Sluiter was Jewish. Dutch Calvinists always had a soft spot for Jewish people if for no other reason than that Jesus was a Jew. Mr. Sluiter had expressed to Leendert and Marie that he worried about his eventual arrest. Leendert offered him to take refuge in their secret hideout but Mr. Sluiter firmly declined because he knew what would happen to the van Pelts if the plan went south. Inevitably, one morning the Gestapo and a contingent of Grünenpolitzei with some black uniformed NSB traitors blocked off the Margrietstraat neighborhood. No one could go in or out. Obviously, the Germans had found some more Jews and were rounding them up. It was a heartbreaking scene when the Nazis rolled into the street and stopped in front of the Sluiter’s house. Mr. Sluiter had already opened the door and was trying to free himself from his loudly sobbing wife’s final embrace and his 5-year-old daughter who was clinging onto his leg. He was actually torn away from his last farewell to his family. Marie was tearing up while watching the neighbor being shoved in a Grünenpolitzei truck. While he was led away he turned his head and called out, “Thank you Mr. and Mrs. van Pelt, thank you so much.”

van Pelt

Leendert, Marie and Bertus watch as the neighbor is taken away, never to be seen again.

Five Brothers and a War

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