Solemnly, the Man voor het vuurpeleton Statue stands here. It commemorates a dark chapter in Haarlem’s history. This is a place of remembrance. It is a tribute to the courage and sacrifice of fifteen Dutch resistance fighters.
The Man voor het vuurpeleton Statue is a powerful bronze sculpture. Mari Andriessen created it. It depicts a man facing his executioners. The statue is 1.90 meters high. It stands on a low plateau of old clinkers.
Do you notice the natural stone strip embedded in the pavement? It is about 10 meters long. The names and ages of the fallen resistance members are engraved here. Behind the memorial is a green hedge.
The text on the front reads: ‘HIER WERDEN OP 7 MAART 1945 15 NEDERLANDERS GEFUSILLEERD.’ This translates to: ‘HERE ON MARCH 7, 1945, 15 DUTCHMEN WERE EXECUTED.’
Andriessen initially envisioned a woman with a torch. He thankfully rejected that idea. A photograph of a young Greek resistance fighter inspired him. The photo captured the moment before his execution. Andriessen created a smaller 78 cm design. After approval, he made the larger 1.90-meter statue.
Andriessen felt the smaller version better conveyed the feeling of being ‘already dead’. He hoped the larger statue would still evoke that emotion.
The Man voor het vuurpeleton Statue commemorates the tragic events of March 7, 1945. Fifteen resistance fighters were executed here. The Nazi occupiers carried out the execution. It was done without any form of due process.
These brave men were Jul Alkema, Cornelis Hartog, and Johannes van der Haas. Pieter van der Haas, Willem de Jager, and Wilhelmus Alb. Jiskoot also died here. Jacob Miedema, Martinus Molenkamp, and Jacobus Oelschlager were among them. Johannes Oelschlager, Johannes Rozekrans, Hugo Ruijs, Albert Scheepstra, Peter van Sloten, and Johannes Volkers were killed too. They ranged in age from 19 to 53.
The execution was a reprisal. It was for the resistance’s attack on a member of the P.I.D. This was the Dutch extension of the Sicherheitsdienst. The victims had been arrested. They were suspected of resistance activities. They were imprisoned in Amsterdam. On that fateful day, they were chosen at random. They were transported to the Dreef in Haarlem.
The Nazis forced about a hundred civilians to watch. They stood opposite the prisoners. Then, the firing squad, led by Lieutenant Stover, took their positions.
Jan Rovers witnessed the execution. He and his sister were stopped by a German soldier. They were forced to stand against the houses. They were directly opposite where the statue now stands.
Jan van Bavel also witnessed the horror. He had been in hiding. He was walking home when he saw the execution. He heard a command. Then came a salvo. The men fell to the ground.
The Man voor het vuurpeleton Statue was unveiled on March 7, 1949. Dr. J.E. baron de Vos van Steenwijk did the honors. He was the Queen’s Commissioner in North Holland. He said the monument was a reminder. It showed what happens when a totalitarian regime occupies the Netherlands.
Let us stand here. Let us reflect on the sacrifices made. May this memorial serve as a warning against tyranny. May it inspire us to cherish freedom.