Route of Commemorative Plaques
3. Edisonstraat 65
This was the home of ARIËN ADRIANUS GORTER
Murdered in Amersfoort on 23/04/1945
Ariën Adrianus (Rien) Gorter was born in Amersfoort on 23 January 1925, son of Klaas Gorter and Johanna Elisabeth Hogendoorn. His sister Jeannette Catharina (Nettie) was more than four years younger. Rien’s parents moved from Hilversum to Amersfoort in 1924; in Amersfoort they lived at various addresses, before they settled at Edisonstraat 65. Father, Klaas was a sergeant in the infantry. When he died on 12 September 1934, Rien was just nine years old. His mother was left behind with two young children. To top up her pension, she rented out rooms in the house on Edisonstraat. She also sold vegetables which she grew in her large back garden. After primary school, Rien went onto high school. He was musical, played the piano and had his own band. He was also a fantastic artist.
Ariën Adrianus (Rien) Gorter
Illegal collaboration
Rien was great friends with Nico Waalewijn van nr. 69 and Rien’s mother often visited the Waalewijn family too. Together with Nico, Rien became involved in the resistance. Under the house, Rien had a radio which he used to pass on messages And, between the houses of Rien and Nico, there would have been an underground connection. Rien never said much about his resistance activities. The less the family knew, the better. ‘If they get me, you won’t be able to tell them anything.’
Camp Amersfoort already liberated
On 20 April 1945, when Rien and Nico were counting German troop movements on Dorresteinsesteeg, on behalf of Rinus van ‘t Eind, they were arrested by a Dutch collaborator. The war was almost at an end and Camp Amersfoort had been liberated the day before. Rien and Nico were captured and transported to villa ‘t Huys on Kalkwegh on Laan 1914. There, they fell into the hands of the fanatic member of the ‘Sicherheitsdienst’ Ludwig Heinemann; he was known in the east of the country as the beast of Zutphen. They were imprisoned in the cellar, where they encountered GN van Asperen, a member of the National Socialist Movement. He was there because he refused to provide the names of the police officers who were engaged in illegal activities. He was severely beaten and Nico and Rien were treated similarly. According to van Asperen, they were put under enormous pressure to provide the name of their client, Rinus van ‘t Eind. On the same night, father and son Van ‘t Eind were captured, beaten and also thrown in the cellar.
Put before a firing squad
In the early morning, two additional prisoners arrived: Petrus Josephus Rogaar and Gerrit Jonkman. They had nothing to do with the business of the other four The seven prisoners attempted to break out but their plans were uncovered and security was then strengthened further. n the afternoon of 22 April, Van Asperen was released. On 23 April, the other six were put before a firing squad on the orders of van Heinemann and in his presence, without any form of trial; they were buried in the villa’s garden. On 4 May they were temporarily re-buried at a location in Camp Amersfoort. Ultimately, the six victims were given a final resting place at the Rusthof cemetery. Rien’s name is inscribed on the Rustenburg monument in Amersfoort.
After the war
Rien’s mother, after the devastating loss of her son as well as the loss of her husband, was eventually ready to move on with her life. She faithfully tended the grave of her son until a great age. Her care was then taken over by her granddaughter and Rien’s sister Nettie.
Heinemann fled to Germany after the war. In March 1946, he was arrested and extradited to the Netherlands. He was found to be responsible for 40 murders. He was sentenced to death and executed in February 1947.
With thanks to the family and Leny Kluit-Waalewijn for sharing the photos and family history.
