The Dutch resistance leader Johannes Post coordinated clandestine operations against the Nazi occupation from a farmhouse in Nieuwlande. Transitioning from a career in local politics and agriculture, he organized networks to conceal Jewish refugees and executed targeted raids on government distribution offices to secure vital supplies for those hiding from authorities during World War II.
Early Career and Local Governance
Born in Hollandscheveld in 1906, Johannes Post began his professional life working in his father's company before establishing himself as a farmer in Nieuwlande. He became active in the Anti-Revolutionary Party, eventually serving as a municipal executive and alderman for Oosterhesselen. In 1929, he married Dien Salomons, with whom he had nine children.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Clandestine Networks
In 1942, Post began his involvement in organized resistance following contact with Jewish refugees. Leveraging his standing in the community and support from his family, he established a rescue network in Nieuwlande. With the help of Arnold Douwes and Nico Leons, he relocated individuals to safe houses. His efforts eventually led to the community becoming a primary hub for hiding persecuted populations.
Escalation and Armed Resistance
By 1943, Post expanded his activities to include raiding registration offices to recover food coupons needed to sustain hidden families and soldiers dodging forced labor. After a brief arrest and subsequent escape, he joined the national advisory group known as the kern. In 1944, he spearheaded large-scale operations, including the theft of sixty pistols from the Archimedesstraat police station.
Leadership and Final Ambush
Post eventually assumed leadership of the Landelijke Knokploegen in the western Netherlands. In June 1944, he moved his operations to Amsterdam following a wave of arrests in the north. While attempting to organize a prison break in Amsterdam on July 14, 1944, to liberate his brother, he was ambushed by the Sicherheitspolizei. He was executed in the dunes of Overveen two days later.
Fast facts
- Born: 1906, Hollandscheveld
- Died: 1944, Overveen
- Spouse: Dien Salomons
- Political Party: Anti-Revolutionary Party
- Resistance Organization: Landelijke Knokploegen
- Award: Righteous Among the Nations (1965)
- Burial Site: Dutch Honorary Cemetery Bloemendaal
Questions readers ask
How did Johannes Post assist Jewish refugees?
He identified safe houses, transported refugees to them, and persuaded residents to provide shelter using moral and religious arguments.
Why were the raids on registration offices conducted?
The raids were carried out to seize food coupons and resources necessary to support individuals in hiding, including those avoiding the Arbeitseinsatz labor program.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 1965
- Worked as politician, farmer and resistance fighter
