Johan Benders

Who was Johan Benders?

Johan Benders was a Dutch teacher at the Amsterdams Lyceum, who encouraged his students to manufacture false identification papers and food ration cards for Jews in order to help them escape persecution by the occupying Nazi Germany. His wife, Gerritdina Letteboer, and he sheltered Jews in their home. In 1943, however, they were betrayed by a neighbor and Johan was arrested by Gestapo. In prison, he was tortured. Johan Benders had tried to commit suicide but failed twice. On April 6, he jumped from the third floor of the prison he was held in, to avoid giving information under torture. Johan and Gerritdina took in Rosalie and Katie Wijnberg, Lore Polak, another Jewish girl and Jan Doedens.

On March 27, 1997, Yad Vashem recognized Johan Benders and Gerritdina Letteboer as Righteous Among the Nations.

In Amsterdam, there is a street named after him.