Corrie Ten Boom Her testimony in her own words Full Length

Cornelia "Corrie" ten Boom (April 15, 1892 -- April 15, 1983) was a Dutch Christian Holocaust survivor who helped many Jews escape the Nazis during World War II.

n May 1942, a well-dressed woman came to the Ten Boom door with a suitcase in hand. She told the Ten Booms that she was a Jew and that her husband had been arrested several months before, and her son had gone into hiding. Occupation authorities had recently visited her, and she was too fearful to return home. After hearing about how the Ten Booms had helped their Jewish neighbors, the Weils (while this is the name given in her book, the actual name of the furrier across the street was N Weill & zoon), she asked if she might stay with them, and Corrie ten Boom's father readily agreed. A devoted reader of the Old Testament, Casper ten Boom believed Jews were indeed "the chosen," and told the woman, "In this household, God's people are always welcome."
Thus began "the hiding place", or "de schuilplaats", as it was known in Dutch (also known as "de Béjé", pronounced in Dutch as 'bayay', an abbreviation of the name of the street the house was in, the Barteljorisstraat). Ten Boom and her sister began taking in refugees, some of whom were Jews, others members of the resistance movement sought by the Gestapo and its Dutch counterpart. There were several extra rooms in their house, but food was scarce due to wartime shortages. Every non-Jewish Dutch person had received a ration card with which they could procure weekly coupons to buy food.
Corrie knew many in Haarlem, thanks to her charitable work, and remembered a couple who had a developmentally disabled daughter. For about twenty years, Corrie Ten Boom had run a special church service program for such children, and knew the family. The father was a civil servant who was by then in charge of the local ration-card office. She went to his house unannounced one evening, and he seemed to know why. When he asked how many ration cards she needed, "I opened my mouth to say, 'Five,'" Ten Boom wrote in The Hiding Place. "But the number that unexpectedly and astonishingly came out instead was: 'One hundred.'"

Because of the number of people using their house as a safe place from the Nazis, the Ten Booms were encouraged to build a secret room in case a raid took place. After inspection, it was decided that the room would be built in Corrie's bedroom, as it was in the highest part of the house, which gave people who were trying to hide the most time to avoid detection (as a search would start on the ground floor). The hidden room was behind a false wall, designed by a member of the Dutch resistance. They were able to sneak bricks and other building supplies into the house by hiding them in briefcases and rolled up newspapers. When finished, the secret room was about 30 inches deep; the size of a medium wardrobe. A ventilation system allowed for breathing. To enter the secret room, a person would have to open a sliding panel in a cupboard, and crawl in on their hands and knees. In addition, an electronic buzzer was installed to give the house's residents warning of a raid. When the Nazis raided the Ten Boom house in 1944, six people used the hiding place to escape detection.

The Germans arrested the entire Ten Boom family on February 28, 1944 at around 12:30 with the help of a Dutch informant. They were sent first to Scheveningen prison (where her father died ten days after his capture). Corrie's sister Nollie, brother Willem, and nephew Peter were all released. Later, Corrie and Betsie were sent to the Vught political concentration camp (both in the Netherlands), and finally to the notorious Ravensbrück concentration camp in Germany on December 16, 1944, where Corrie's sister Betsie died. Before she died she told Corrie, "There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still." Corrie was released on New Year's Eve of December 1944.[2] In the movie The Hiding Place, Ten Boom narrates the section on her release from camp, saying that she later learned that her release had been a clerical error. The women prisoners her age in the camp were killed the week following her release. She said, "God does not have problems. Only plans."

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[cody484848]

So very love the lady and the family, and their example.

[cmoors419]

This woman and her beloved family inspires me all the time. Her courage, her love for the Savior, I can't wait to see her in Heaven one day.

[momto3rs]

The Watch Shop itself,is still in the exact area it was in when the house was originally built(in the 1800s;Its 2 homes joined together as 1)It is now a museum designedjust as it was when the ten Boom family lived there.There are tours available,both in Dutch & English.Check the Corrie ten Boom Link.Mr Ibink's a wonderful man,himself with his own story of faith,miracles&hope.He does the museum HONOR by bringing his life&gifts to the watchshop.Hes inspiring!Check it out.Be prepared to be BLESSED!

[momto3rs]

The Corrie ten Boom Story is currently available on DVD, it has been produced & released by Billy Graham Productions,& it is a copy of the original movie,The movie was originally released in theaters in the USA in 1976(?).The film(starring Jeanette Clift & Julie Harris)was based upon the phenomenal original book written by Corrie ten Boom,the sole survivor in the ten Boom family,who gave their lives hiding Jews during WWII.The DVD is great,but the book is phenomenal,truly life changing!Read it

[momto3rs]

My life,too, was changed by this woman-&the viewing of the movie-available on DVD by Billy Graham Productions on(Amazon)IT IT ALSO THE 175th ANNIVERSARY OF TEN BOOM WATCH SHOP THIS YR!They celebrated the100th Anniversary w/a huge party-most of Holland attended.Stop by,say hello&congratulate(in Dutch & in English-of course)the current watchmaker,Steph Ibink&his wife,who've been running the shop for >30yrs-GREAT COUPLE&true believers.God BLESS YOU MR IBINK,I pray for 30more prosperous yrs for you!

[BroBourne]

A TRUE Christian in every sense of the word!!! I'll bet she's enjoying the fellowship of the Saviour she served so well even now!!!!!!!!!

[msmrnice]

WHO EVER POSTED THIS I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU! EVERYONE SHOULD HEAR THIS STORY,CAUSE IT WOULD BRING THEM CLOSER TO THE LORD,MAY THIS LADY REST IN GOD,S GREATNESS INTHE NAME OF JESUS AMEN

[rhremorse]

Thank you for posting this. Her words continue to inspire and change lives so many years after she has gone to be with our Savior and her loving family.

[1001myplaylist]

I love you Corrie Ten Boom <3 You are my hero!

[etgon]

She was the Harriet Tubman of the holocaust , she helped people escape the bad guys