Corrie Ten Boom and The Hiding Place

Providing Safe Refuge for Jewish People in the Second World War

Sep 25, 2009

The Ten Boom home was a haven for for Jewish people and Dutch Underground members during the Second World War even though it meant the entire family risked their lives.

There are many heroic stories about ordinary people who did extraordinary things during the Second World War. One such story is about the Ten Boom family, a devoutly Christian family that believed in helping anyone in need.

During the war years the Ten Boom home was occupied by Casper and Cor, their children Corrie, Betsie, Willem and Nollie, three aunts, and at any given time 6-7 people the Ten Boom's risked their lives to hide from the Nazi Gestapo. Protecting these Jewish people and members of the Dutch Underground the Ten Boom family risked their lives all in the belief that a non-violent resistance against the Nazi's was a way of demonstrating and living their Christian Faith.

Hiding From the Gestapo

The Ten Boom family hid many people in 1943 and 1944. Students that would not agree with Nazi forces and would not follow their regime, members of the Dutch Underground who worked tirelessly and at great risk to themselves were just some of the people hidden behind the false wall in Corrie Ten Boom's bedroom.

The only access to the small secret area was through a sliding panel at the bottom of a linen closet. The space behind the wall was small and cramped but it was so well concealed that even after the family was betrayed and arrested and the house raided by the Gestapo six people were able to hide there quietly for 47 hours until they could be liberated by members of the Dutch Underground and moved to other safe houses (three survived the war).

For their part in hiding Jewish people and members of the Dutch Underground and because items such as extra ration cards were found in their home the Ten Boom family was sent to Nazi prisons. Casper Ten Boom at 84 years of age survived only four days in Scheveningen Prison. Corrie and Betsie survived ten months in three prisons with the last being the Ravensbruck Concentration Camp where they spent their time teaching the love of Jesus to other prisoners.

Betsie died in Ravensbruck at the age of 59 but Corrie managed to survive. Her cousin Christiaan who was 24 was sent to Bergen Belsn Concentration Camp where it is assumed he died, as he never returned and Corrie's brother Willem died just after the war at the age of 60 after contracting spinal tuberculosis during his time in prison.

In total four of the Ten Booms died for their families beliefs and their desire to do the good and Christian thing but Corrie survived. She fast realized her life was a God-given gift. She decided to share the things she and Betsie learned while imprisoned at Ravensbruck so at the age of 53, Corrie created a ministry that spanned the world. Her ministry took her to over 60 countries where she told of her experiences and urged people to live with a simple message, "Jesus is Victor."

"In all approximately 800 people were saved because of the Ten Boom family’s courage and in the 1970s Corrie launched her book, "The Hiding Place" which was also turned into a movie. Corrie herself lived a long life dying on her 91st birthday. There is a Jewish tradition that very blessed people only are permitted to die on their birthdays.

The copyright of the article Corrie Ten Boom and The Hiding Place in Historical Biographies is owned by Karrie Emms. Permission to republish Corrie Ten Boom and The Hiding Place in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.