The fallen resistance people in Limburg

Jan Hendrix
(Johannes Jozef)

Het Grote Gebod – L.O.

Jan Hendrix grew up in Geysteren. [1] In 1927 vicar in Maasbracht. Traces of War [2] calls him headmaster.
When Father Bleijs found Rector J.J. Hendrix of Beek-Maasbracht and J. Puts willing to organize the local L.O. in June 1943, the Maasbracht group joined the Roermond district. [3.1]
As the front approached, he was evacuated to Montfort. [5]
He lived there at his cousin’s G. Hermkens, vicar in Montfoort. Together with him he was arrested on December 17, 1944 while leading people through the front (front crossing). [3.2]
But in Het grote gebod, (The Great Commandment), we read: Arrested on 17 December 1944 at the home of his cousin Hermkens. [4]
Jan Hendrix was imprisoned in Ohrdruf, prisoner number 65912. [5]
Ohrdruf, 13 kilometers south of Gotha, was an subcamp of Buchenwald, where the prisoners had to carve out a large underground labyrinth. [6]
But they didn’t stay there.
The two clergymen ended up in Buchenwald. On Feb. 8, 1945, they were both badly wounded in a bombing of a factory where they were employed. Hendrix died on Feb. 9 and Hermkens nine days later. [3.2]
The weapons factory where this happened was called the Gustloff-Werke and was right next to the Buchenwald concentration camp. [7]
Johannes Jozef ( Jan ) Hendrix is listed in the Erelijst 1940-1945 (Honor Roll of the Dutch Parliament). [8]

Footnotes

1. Archief Oorlogsgravenstichting (@ Nationaal archief),
   Dossier Jan Hendrix #4
2. Traces of War Memorial Grave `Jan’ Johannes Jozef Hendrix
3. Dr. F. Cammaert, Het Verborgen Front – Geschiedenis van de georganiseerde illegaliteit in de provincie Limburg tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Doctorale scriptie 1994, Groningen
   6. De Landelijke Organisatie voor hulp aan onderduikers
   1. p. 630
   2. p. 629
4. Het grote gebod, p. 327
5. oorlogsbronnen.nl/tijdlijn Johannes Jozef Hendrix
6. Zwangsarbeitslager Ohrdruf, Wikipedia • Nederlands • Deutsch • English • Español
7. Gustloff Werke
   1. buchenwald.de • Deutsch • English
   2. lernort-weimar.de Deutsch
8. Erelijst 1940-1945
9. Oorlogsgravenstichting.nl