Category: People
Lüttich Zitadelle – The Liège Citadel
Jan van Boeckel spent two and a half months at the Citadelle de Liége in the summer of 1944. He was transferred there from the Saint-Léonard prison on D-Day, the 6th of June 1944. Continue reading Lüttich Zitadelle – The Liège Citadel
Losing a connection to the past
After a long search I was able to locate him at the end of last year. Theo never forgot Jan, and was extremely glad that I contacted him. I interviewed him about Jan and everything they had experienced together. Continue reading Losing a connection to the past
Jakob Hajblum – A man with character
Jakob arrived at Flossenbürg main camp one day after Jan did. On the 15th of February 1945 he left Flossenbürg main camp for the subcamp in Saal an der Donau in a passenger train. Continue reading Jakob Hajblum – A man with character
Pilgrimage 4: Wallonia
Many hours have also been spent in walking to and through the various locations I have been able to unearth in all the documents, spots where Jan had stayed during his Belgian sojourn. Continue reading Pilgrimage 4: Wallonia
Pilgrimage 3: If dunes could speak…
This is a very short note to my most loyal readers. There is not much time to write blogs during this pilgrimage. The chapters for the book about Jan van Boeckel are very slowly taking shape. In the mean time … Continue reading Pilgrimage 3: If dunes could speak…
Pilgrimage 2: Unravelling Fog
Unravelling the fog the Nazis created by following the footsteps from death to life… Continue reading Pilgrimage 2: Unravelling Fog
The End – and The Beginning
I watch as a tear, frozen in time, melts into moss. A tear suspended – burdened with a mother’s loss, a family’s emptiness. Continue reading The End – and The Beginning
Shadowy Pilgrimage
I am going on a pilgrimage. A delving, unearthing and prospecting pilgrimage into history Continue reading Shadowy Pilgrimage
The beginnings….of a book
The book about Jan van Boeckel is slowly taking shape. This is a very rough sketch of the content. Continue reading The beginnings….of a book
Learning to listen
Long ago the conclusion of one of my theses at university was that understanding and overcoming racism and prejudice can only be achieved by friendship, by learning to know the ‘other’. Continue reading Learning to listen
delving the past
maybe being born where ancestors speak fires my will to continue relating a mother’s loss which flows on in me as a need to know in the very detail these memories teach the strength of humanity This is an … Continue reading delving the past
Slim Chances in Saal and Dachau
Facts remain the backbone of my story. This is a study of facts which needed to do to be able to understand any further research on this last phase in Jan van Boeckel’s life – and his death. Not the most inspiring of reading material, I wrote it because it might be useful for anyone else doing research on this place and time, and these events. Continue reading Slim Chances in Saal and Dachau
Unstoppable Art
Inspiration can not be halted, it lives a life of its own. Art goes where it intends to go. It was never my intention to write a novel. The book on Jan van Boeckel’s journey into the unknown and his … Continue reading Unstoppable Art
Processions in the Hunger Winter
A sense of humour is one of the best survival tools, and the van Boeckels had loads of it. Talking to Jacqueline and Ineke, two of the youngest van Boeckels, they forever tell their painful childhood stories laced with the jokes that were prevalent in the family. It still makes them laugh out loud. Continue reading Processions in the Hunger Winter
