Route of Commemorative Plaques
17. Borneoplein 21
This was the home of STEPHANUS JACOBUS VAN ROIJEN
Murdered in Sachsenhausen on 03/05/1942
Stephanus Jacobus van Roijen was born in The Hague on 5 August 1899. His parents were Pieter van Roijen and Johanna Maria Eerkens. At the time of his birth, they lived in Utrecht. In 1923, Stephanus Johannes married Henriette Adriana Sloot. On 9 July 1927, their daughter Emilie Lucie was born.
Stephanus graduated from the KMA (Royal Military Academy) in 1921. From 1923, the second lieutenant in Amersfoort lived at Leusderweg 177; a few years later, he moved with his wife and daughter to Borneoplein 21. When the now first lieutenant Stephanus was completing a course at the ‘Hoogere Krijgsschool’ (advanced military education), the family lived in The Hague from 1933 to 1936. From The Hague, they returned to Borneoplein 21. In 1938, Stephanus was promoted to captain.
Photo by Elany Koopman ROC
The first OD trial
During the war, Stephanus Jacobus van Roijen was part of the ‘Ordedienst’ (OD), an illegal organisation of military men, former soldiers and citizens. In the first instance, the men aimed to maintain public order after the expected, rapid departure of the Germans. When this turned out to be unrealistic, the members began to engage in resistance activities, by sabotaging German networks, and gathering intelligence about the enemy and sending it to England. The organisational core of the OD was eliminated in spring 1941 by the Germans and many of the district and local commanders were arrested. The first large group of 86 arrestees, which not only included OD members, were gradually collected at Camp Amersfoort at the beginning of 1942. The first ‘OD trial’ took place at the end of March 1942, in the pavilion of the Berghotel in Amersfoort. Groups of the 86 arrestees were called to be heard at the trial. The last group was heard on 3 April.
Five days later, on 8 April, the final hearing was held in the SS canteen at the camp. Of the 86 individuals, 80 received a death sentence. . The men were imprisoned in separate barracks, barrack 4. These barracks were completely isolated. On 11 April, the ruling was issued. Of the 86 people, 6 were sent to a detention centre and 80 were sentenced to death. These 80 individuals were taken to barrack 4. Police vans were used to transport them to the prison in Utrecht. Family members submitted petitions for clemency. n seven cases, the death sentence was commuted to a life sentence in a detention centre; in one case a new investigation was required. The 72 persons who had received a confirmed death sentence were taken to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. On Sunday morning, 3 May, the men were killed one by one, by gunshot to the neck. Among them were Stephanus Jacobus and six other
Amersfoort residents.
The street ‘Van Roijenpad’ in the Rustenburg area was named after Stephanus Jacobus van Roijen.
Information
Sources of information about the OD and the first OD trial included ‘Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden in de Tweede Wereldoorlog 1939-1945’ by Dr. L. de Jong and Om niet te vergeten. De Tweede wereldoorlog herdacht in Amersfoort, a publication by the Municipality of Amersfoort.
