Stedemaagd
The Stedemaagd is a statue in Alkmaar, made by Jeanne Kouwenaar-Bijlo.
What happened?
On the 17th of November 1944
five men were shot. A German policecar came into the Harddraverslaan. German cops came out of the car, and pushed five Dutch men in front of them with machineguns. They lined them up on the spot where now the Stedemaagd is, and they shot the Dutch men one by one.
The victims
There were 5 victims. They all had a family and were dad of small children. Underneath the five man are lined up;
Pieter Booy
43 years old
Pieter had a child, he was unemployed at the time. So he had to work in Germany, he didn´t want that, he escaped but was arrested in Amsterdam.
Arie Kapitein
53 years old
He was a widow and had 4 children. The German suspected him of illegal trade of fuel and support to the resistance. They never found any prove, but they killed Arie.
Marinus Post
42 years old
He had 8 children. He was leader of several resistance groups, and joined serial robberies and killattacks on the Germans.
Pieter van Velzen
31 years old
He had a baby. He was a doorman and he brought illegal papers, they were forbidden by the Germans. He also helped jews, gipsy people, homohsexuals and mentally and physically disabled people.
Frans van der Zeijden
31 years old
He had a daughter. He was involved in resistance work and cared for hiding people. During a armstransport he got in a gunfight with the Germans, and was hurt badly. They arrested hi mand killed him in the Harddraverslaan.
The Statue
The statue is made by Jeanne Kouwenaar-Bijlo. The statue is placed on the Harddraverslaan in 1950. But on the 10th of May 1945, inhabitants of Alkmaar already came tot his spot to remember the casualties.
At the bottom of the statue there´s a poem, it says;
She stands here for all the citizens who gave their life in the battle. But they are not real dead, because they will live forever in our memories.
This poem is made by Adriaan Roland Holst in 1950.