Truus van Lier (1921–1943) was a prominent Dutch resistance fighter in Utrecht during World War II. A law student at Utrecht University, she became a member of the militant resistance group CS-6.
Key Resistance Activities
Intelligence & Sabotage: She successfully infiltrated the Wehrmacht and the Nazi-aligned Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging (NSB) in Amersfoort, smuggling out photographs of the Soesterberg military airfield.
Logistics: She worked as a courier for illegal literature and weapons and helped arrange safe houses for Jewish families.
Logistics: She worked as a courier for illegal literature and weapons and helped arrange safe houses for Jewish families.
The Assassination of Gerard Kerlen: On September 3, 1943, Van Lier shot and killed Utrecht’s NSB chief of police, Gerardus Johannes Kerlen, near his home at the Willemsplantsoen. Kerlen was a notorious “Jew hunter” who was about to arrest a large group of Jewish people and resistance members.
Arrest and Death
Following the assassination, she was betrayed and arrested in Haarlem. She was deported to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany, where she was executed by firing squad on October 27, 1943, at the age of 22.
Following the assassination, she was betrayed and arrested in Haarlem. She was deported to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany, where she was executed by firing squad on October 27, 1943, at the age of 22.
Commemoration and Legacy
The Daffodil Monument: Every spring, daffodils bloom along the Catharijnesingel in Utrecht to spell out her name, “Truus,” near the site of the assassination.
Statue: A bronze statue of Truus van Lier, designed by artist Joyce Overheul, was unveiled in Utrecht in 2022.
Rietveld Schröder House: Her childhood home at Prins Hendriklaan 48 (located next to the famous Rietveld Schröder House) features a commemorative plaque and a Stolperstein (stumbling stone).
Family Connection: Her cousin, Trui van Lier, was also a notable resistance member who ran the “Kindjeshaven” day-care center, which saved approximately 150 Jewish children.
The Daffodil Monument: Every spring, daffodils bloom along the Catharijnesingel in Utrecht to spell out her name, “Truus,” near the site of the assassination.
Statue: A bronze statue of Truus van Lier, designed by artist Joyce Overheul, was unveiled in Utrecht in 2022.
Rietveld Schröder House: Her childhood home at Prins Hendriklaan 48 (located next to the famous Rietveld Schröder House) features a commemorative plaque and a Stolperstein (stumbling stone).
Family Connection: Her cousin, Trui van Lier, was also a notable resistance member who ran the “Kindjeshaven” day-care center, which saved approximately 150 Jewish children.
A book has been written about Truus van Lier by author Jessica van Geel. I have reached out to Jessica asking whether I could purchase a copy of the book.