On 21 March, Mayor Wienen and Haarlem’s child mayor, Vera Bolt, officially opened the refurbished cell of Hannie Schaft in the Koepel in Haarlem.

This took place on the day Hannie Schaft was imprisoned 81 years ago in the Koepel complex in Haarlem. The cell has been open to the public since 22 March.

At the very spot where resistance icon Hannie Schaft spent hours in fear, we now take a moment of peace and reflection. Through images, sound and the layout of the space, visitors are invited to reflect on her story and on the question: how much are you like Hannie?

Behind the scenes
A year of hard work has gone into the redesign and fundraising. The project was led by Charlotte Schot (Art Director), Christel Bouwmeester (Visual Artist) and Liesbeth Rood (Theatre Producer), together with many volunteers.

Thanks to our partners
The refurbishment was made possible financially by the Municipality of Haarlem, the Cultuurkoepel Foundation, Jeroen Pliester bequest (former chair of the National Hannie Schaft Foundation) and the Haarlem school Het Schoter, Hannie Schaft’s former secondary school.

Animated Wall & Crowdfunding
Inside the cell, we tell the story of the final days of her life, her resistance, her courage and her death in a poignant way. This includes an animation projected onto the walls of the cell, depicting her short life. Your contribution is essential to make this animation in the KoepelCel a financial reality.

PLEASE DONATE

The National Hannie Schaft Foundation aims to raise awareness – particularly among young people – of the dangers of exclusion and discrimination, and to champion equality and justice, so that they can make a difference when it matters.

Het bericht Renovated Hannie Schaft cell open to the public verscheen eerst op Nationale Hannie Schaft Stichting.

Theatre maker Liesbeth Rood is explicitly inspired in her work by the ideas of resistance heroine Hannie Schaft. She is responsible for directing and translating the theatre production Ontwapenend (Disarming): a contemporary, dynamic, playful, moving and sometimes heart-rending piece of movement theatre about Hannie Schaft, Truus and Freddie Oversteegen.

Seven actresses recount the courageous struggle of these three young women against German occupation — young women who took action because they could not stand by, look away or let it happen.

Theatre performance Ontwapenend (Disarming)
Ontwapenend is a story about resistance, freedom, equality and sisterhood. A story that must be told and passed on. The performance can be seen from 20 March to 5 May 2026 at various locations in Haarlem. More information and ticket sales via: https://www.fluisterendehuizen.nl

Redesign of Hannie Schaft cell
In addition to her theatre work, Liesbeth Rood also made a substantive contribution to the redesign of the cell dedicated to Hannie Schaft in the Haarlem Koepel. She developed the content on the wall into a carefully constructed story and developed the visitor route so that Hannie Schaft’s story can be experienced in a thoughtful way.

Liesbeth Rood
She graduated from the Amsterdam Theatre Academy in 2001 as an Independent Performing Theatre Maker. Since then, she has been acting, writing, dancing, storytelling, producing and directing at Theater A La Carte, Shakespearience and the Haarlem theatre collective tgLAVA, among others. She draws her inspiration from the history of locations and the personal stories of people who lived or worked there. Since 2020, she has been working on the theatre project Fluisterende Huizen (Whispering Houses), based on true stories from the Second World War in Haarlem.
More about Liesbeth Rood at: www.tglava.nl

In the spirit of Hannie Schaft is a regular feature in which we spotlight a cultural figure who is driven by courage, freedom and ideals.

Het bericht Culture maker Liesbeth Rood in the spotlight verscheen eerst op Nationale Hannie Schaft Stichting.

On March 21, 2026, the space we were given the opportunity to redesign will open to share and pass on Hannie’s story. It will feature an exhibition wall where artists can display (digital) works inspired by the ideas of Hannie Schaft.

Now we are asking for your help: Your contribution will make a difference in making an animation in the KoepelCel financially possible.
Read more about this unique project. And join our mission to stand up for equality and justice.

Support this project

Het bericht Sneak Peek of the Koepel Cell verscheen eerst op Nationale Hannie Schaft Stichting.

Special commemorative items in honour of Hannie, a woman in the resistance, are now available in the webshop.
Buy a bag and support our work.

This meaningful memento helps us keep her story alive. With your purchase, you contribute to passing on her legacy to new generations.

She gave everything for freedom, equality and justice.
Carry Hannie’s courage with you, wherever you go.

Buy now

Het bericht Buy a bag and support our work. verscheen eerst op Nationale Hannie Schaft Stichting.

Would you like to attend?
Tell us more about how you see Hannie Schaft by answering the questions below.

• In one word: Hannie Schaft is to me…
• What touches you most about her story?
• Through which channel do you prefer to discover these kinds of stories? (e.g. Instagram, podcast, theatre, documentary or event)

Send your answers
By email to voorzitter@hannieschaft.nl befor Sunday 22 February at 6 p.m. at the latest and you could win tickets. Your response will help us keep her story alive and relevant for new generations.

We will let you know by Sunday 22 February at 9 p.m. at the latest whether you have won tickets.
Maybe you’ll be in the audience on Wednesday.

More info
The musical theatre performance “February – the struggle of resistance hero Witte Ko” shows the raw life of Jan Brasser, alias “Witte Ko”. About courage, doubt and love in wartime.
www.schotinderoostheater.nl/

Het bericht Win the last two tickets for Witte Ko – 25 February verscheen eerst op Nationale Hannie Schaft Stichting.

As we commemorate 80 years of peace, we remember a remarkable woman who was murdered 80 years ago for her resistance work: Hannie Schaft. This anniversary year, we celebrate her life and legacy on Sunday, November 30th, at the Grote of St. Bavokerk in Haarlem. None other than Ben Verbong, director of the film The Girl with the Red Hair, will deliver the Hannie Schaft Lecture.

Ben Verbong

Ben Verbong is a Dutch director who graduated from the Netherlands Film Academy in 1974. For his first full-length cinema film, The Girl with the Red Hair (based on the book by Theun de Vries) starring Renée Soutendijk, he received the Film Critics’ Prize in 1981. After numerous Dutch films including The Cashier and The Ondecent Woman, he continued his career in Germany. There he made seven cinema films and numerous television films. He made his comeback in the Netherlands with When I Saw You, based on the autobiographical book of the same name by Isa Hoes. He is currently preparing the Dutch-German coproduction Marinus, based on the book by Martin Schouten about the life of Marinus van der Lubbe

Commemoration 30 November in the Grote or St.-Bavokerk

Start: 13:00, doors open at 12:30 | Grote Markt 22, Haarlem | free admission |You can register here
The afternoon will be musically accompanied by Erik Vlasblom, Silje Raaijmakers, Frederique Arnold, a capella vocal group Vivid and children from Musical Master.

Na afloop is er gelegenheid mee te lopen in een stille tocht naar het Kenaupark waar kransen worden gelegd bij het monument ‘Vrouw in het verzet’ van Hannie’s mede-verzetsstrijder Truus Menger-Oversteegen.
De Nationale Hannie Schaft Stichting heeft een bijzondere band met de Grote of St.-Bavokerk. Eind november 1945 werd Hannie vanuit deze kerk herbegraven. Het was een nationaal evenement dat begon met een herdenkingsdienst waarna haar kist naar de Eerebegraafplaats Bloemendaal werd vervoerd voor de officiële begrafenis.

Het bericht Director Ben Verbong will deliver the 2025 Hannie Schaft Lecture verscheen eerst op Nationale Hannie Schaft Stichting.

Het bericht Unveiling of the Hannies Schaft memorial stone verscheen eerst op Nationale Hannie Schaft Stichting.

Het bericht Let’s talk about Freedom – Celebrate Hannie Schaft’s birthday at De Koepel Haarlem verscheen eerst op Nationale Hannie Schaft Stichting.

Het bericht Listening tip: Icons of History (podcast) verscheen eerst op Nationale Hannie Schaft Stichting.