Immediately after the war, Hannie Schaft was commemorated annually by Truus and Freddie Oversteegen and many other interested parties.
Various attempts were made to organize an official Hannie Schaft commemoration, but these were nipped in the bud during the Cold War due to the communist background of a number of members of the Council of Resistance (RVV) to which Hannie, Truus and Freddie belonged.
On May 3, 1982, the statue of Hannie Schaft “Woman in the Resistance,” designed by Truus Menger-Oversteegen, was unveiled by Princess Juliana in Haarlem’s Kenaupark.
Background National Hannie Schaft Foundation
When fewer and fewer people commemorated Hannie Schaft, Truus and Freddie decided to establish a foundation in memory of their fellow resistance fighter and friend, to commemorate her both as a person and as a symbol of the (women’s) resistance. On June 3, 1996, the National Hannie Schaft Commemoration Foundation (known as the National Hannie Schaft Foundation in 2018) was established, with the mission of raising awareness through remembrance.
Since then, the Foundation has organized the annual national Hannie Schaft commemoration on the last Sunday in November (as Hannie Schaft’s reburial at Bloemendaal Cemetery had taken place on November 27, 1945, in the presence of Queen Wilhelmina).
Becoming aware by remembering
Several important people from Hannie Schaft’s life and resistance work served on the Foundation’s board. First and foremost, Truus and Freddie themselves, but also Hannie Menger (Truus’s daughter, named after Hannie Schaft), resistance fighters Coen and Jo Hamers from the IJmuiden resistance, and Paul Elsinga (now an honorary board member) where both Hannie and Truus spent some time in hiding.
While the Foundation’s founders are unfortunately no longer with us, Hannie Schaft’s ideas are perhaps more relevant than ever. The memory of Hannie Schaft and her fellow fighters remains paramount. Her actions back then served as an inspiring example and their relevance to our current freedom. Younger generations are also becoming increasingly involved in our mission.