The fallen resistance people in Limburg

Pierre “Père Tim” Timmermans
(Peter Anthonius Franciscus)

Pierre Timmermans was the central person on the escape route via Nancy. He was a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (the Spiritans), an organization of French origin. [1]
He was ordained a priest in Rome at the age of 24. He taught at the French seminary there until 1927. He also studied theology, canon law and music. Because of his persistent campaign against the growing influence of the radical right-wing Action française, he was declared persona non grata in Rome. Via Monaco and Sierre in Switzerland, he arrived in Nancy in 1935. There he taught canon law at the priests’ seminary and enjoyed a great reputation. [2]
The Action française was a radical right-wing anti-Semitic organization that was condemned by Pope Pius XI in 1926. However, the tide turned towards the end of his pontificate and in 1939 this condemnation was lifted by the new Pope Pius XII. [3.1]
The Notre-Dame de l’Asnée seminary moved into a large building in the municipality of Villers-lès-Nancy, a southwestern suburb of Nancy in Lorraine, on May 25, 1936. [4]
In the meantime, Pierre Timmermans had also become vicar in the parish of Saint-Joseph in Nancy. There he directed the church choir and the choir of the seminary of Villers-les-Nancy and also composed for them. A musician at heart, Abbé Timmermans composed a number of polyphonic canticles and motets, most of them unpublished and intended for the choir of the major seminary of Villers-les-Nancy.
See also the announcement on the right: City of Nancy, Poirel Hall. Conservatory concerts season 1942-1943, Sunday, November 8, 1942, at 5:15 p.m. exactly, 2nd subscription concert with the support of Mrs. MERCIER, harp teacher at the Conservatory, Miss Andrée DE PARDIEU, singer, the choir Saint-Joseph and its director, Mr. Abbé Pierre Timmermans (collection O. Geoffroy). [5]
After the war, he continued these activities. [5]

His colleagues in Limburg had not lost sight of him and soon after the German invasion they sounded him out about the possibility of helping refugees from the Netherlands to Switzerland. He could, and in early 1941 the line across Nancy came about. Parish priest Vullinghs, the vicars Akkermans from Tegelen, Slots from Grubbenvorst (later Weert), Goossens from Echt, Naus and Van Enckevort from Venlo, the priests-teachers E.V.H. Steegmans from Sittard and Brummans from Weert, but also laymen like L.F.J. Frantzen from Horn, J.M. Peters from Roosteren, H.J. Colleije from Haelen and many others knew about this line. They all gratefully used the services of this extremely valuable force. Several hundred refugees traveled between 1941 and November 1943 via Maaseik or Maastricht via Virton and Longwy to Nancy where Timmermans (père Tim) took them in, provided them with shelter, food stamps and false papers. They then traveled to Belfort accompanied by so called passeurs to reach Switzerland after crossing the border river Doubs. [2][6]
The escaped French prisoners of war were usually able to travel on alone with some assistance. The Jews were taken to Switzerland. The Allied airmen preferred to go to the British Crown Colony of Gibraltar. Because once they would be in neutral Switzerland, they would not be able to leave because of Swiss neutrality.
Through contacts via Brussels-Paris-Switzerland and the aid for Jews, Timmermans also came into contact with Paul Ph. Veerman, an important figure in document smuggling. The latter worked for J.H. Weidner’s Dutch-Paris escape line (used by Jews, pilots and Engelandvaarders) and he was a courier on the so-called Swiss Way A. [2][3.2]
Since the above-mentioned suppliers of refugees helped escaped prisoners of war, pilots and Jews on their way to Nancy, père Tim is also counted here among the helpers of these groups.
Although he knew that he was being monitored by the Gestapo, Timmermans continued his illegal work. This was his undoing at the beginning of November 1943. He was arrested when he tried to help two German deserters. They had been forced by the Gestapo to lure him into a trap. He was sentenced to three years in jail, which he had to serve in the notorious penal prison in Rottenburg. He survived torture, hunger and deprivation. In early 1945, Timmermans was liberated by French troops. [2]
Prof. Dr. P.A.F. Timmermans received the Cross of Merit in 1950, [7] and was awarded the Bronze Lion on February 17, 1951. [8]
Loe de Jong also dedicates a page to the work of Pierre Timmermans. [9]
Père Tim and parish priest Vullinghs were the two priest-musicologists of the Limburg resistance. They combined their love of people with that of music.



Nancy 1942 [5]

Footnotes

1. Congregatio Sancti Spiritus, Wikipedia • Nederlands • Deutsch • English • Français • Español
2. Dr. F. Cammaert, Het Verborgen Front – Geschiedenis van de georganiseerde illegaliteit in de provincie Limburg tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Doctorale scriptie 1994, Groningen
   Hoofdst. 4, Hulpverlening aan geallieerde piloten en hun bemanningsleden, p.248-252
3. Wikipedia
   1. Action française • Nederlands • Deutsch • English • Français • Português
   2. Dutch-Paris, Documentensmokkel • Nederlands
4. Inauguration du grand-seminaire de l’Asnée
5. Musica et Memoria Quelques maîtres de chapelle et compositeurs nancéiens du XXe siècle
6. OpenStreetMap Nancy ⇒ Belfort
7. Père Timmermans, Wikipedia Nederlands
8. Bronzen Leeuw Prof. dr. P.A.F. Timmermans
9. meertens.knaw.nl, Loe de Jong digitaal Pilotenhulp p.795