Survival, despite everything: Jacob and Johanna van Esso

Jacob van Esso, the owner of a bag shop before and after the war, saw many townsfolk walking through the main street every day. He saw them, but they did not see him, and that was just as well. Jacob and his wife were in hiding above plumber Hulsbergen's business for more than a year. (Hoofdstraat 39, now Zeeman.)  

The Hulsbergen and van Esso families had long known each other, both professionally and as friends. This was presumably the reason for this hiding place, which was not entirely safe. Later the daughter-in-law, but girlfriend at the time of Hulsbergen's son recalled: "I instantly lost my spare bedroom, because that's where they had to live."  

Jacob started a diary, in which he observed his small surroundings outside as closely as possible. Johanna helped out in the household and often played solitaire. They also regularly listened to the radio together, which was well hidden but could receive the BBC perfectly well. An ingenious hiding place had been built, which was used once during a search. There were some anxious moments, but they were not discovered by the Meppel collaborators.  

After a year, the van Esso's departed for another hiding place with the help of the resistance (LO). This was presumably because a neighbour across the street told Hulsbergen he had seen Jacob from Esso upstairs behind the net curtain. This man was not trusted, so the family left for a different hiding place before returning to their home in Meppel on Zuideinde after the war. 

Author: Wim Sagel