Corrie ten Boom

Lived

1892–1983

Era

Twentieth century and after

Where

Haarlem, the Netherlands

Tradition

Reformed / Presbyterian

Hiding Jews above a watch shop

A Dutch watchmaker, the first woman licensed as one in the Netherlands, whose family built a hidden room in their house in Haarlem and sheltered Jews and resistance members through the German occupation, saving an estimated eight hundred people.

Why it matters

The family was betrayed in 1944. Her father died in prison within ten days; she and her sister Betsie were sent to Ravensbrück, where Betsie died. Corrie was released through a clerical error a week before the women of her age group were killed. She spent the rest of her long life speaking about forgiveness, including an account of meeting one of the Ravensbrück guards afterwards and finding she could not do it on her own resources. She is honoured at Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations.

All the figures, from the apostolic age to the present, or the timeline they stand in.