Women of the Dutch Resistance: Hannie Schaft and Truus & Freddie Oversteegen Artwork

The Reference Desk

Have you ever fallen down a rabbit hole into an obscure topic and suddenly need to know all the details and consume all the media related to it? You've found your people. Every other Wednesday, librarians Hailee and Katie take turns sharing the topic that has them bewitched. After a deep-dive into the subject-du-jour, fill your "to read" list with their related book recommendations.

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The Reference Desk

Women of the Dutch Resistance: Hannie Schaft and Truus & Freddie Oversteegen

April 23, 2025 • The Reference Desk

In this episode, Katie is bewitched by three women of the Dutch Resistance: Hannie Schaft and Truus and Freddie Oversteegen.

When the German Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940, local resistance groups and everyday Dutch folks organized ingenious ways to fight back against their occupiers. From distributing illegal newspapers to bombing supply lines to killing Nazis, the Dutch resistance was a powerful example of how even against the biggest forces of evil, everyone can do something to fight back. Hannie Schaft, who once dreamed of using her law degree to fight fascism with the League of Nations, gave up her ambitions to save her two best friends and join the Haarlem resistance. Hannie worked alongside sisters Truus and Freddie Overstegeen, who’d been involved in resistance work since childhood. The young women were able to infiltrate spaces the men could not, and this skill made them invaluable to the resistance. The trio saved countless lives by moving Jewish families to safe houses, collecting intelligence on German missile sites, and luring Nazis to their death with a wink and a smile.

All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop!

Staff picks:

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

The Dollhouse by Charis Cotter

The Mystery of the Haunted Dance Hall by Charis Cotter

Recommended Reading:

Fiction:

To Die Beautiful by Buzzy Jackson

The Assault by Harry Mulisch

Non-fiction:

Now Then, Not Now, Not Ever by Truus Menger- Oversteegen

Three Ordinary Girls by Tim Brady