Despite the first gay bar opening its doors during this time, these restrictive age rulings, along with other laws against public indecency, were used to unfairly target gay men.īut these rulings did not intimidate Arondeus. In 1911, the beliefs of the ruling political parties led to the age of consent for homosexuality to be changed to 21 in the Netherlands - despite the age for heterosexuality remaining at 16. Often deemed the birthplace of LGBTQ rights, Amsterdam decriminalized homosexuality in 1811, but restrictive rules still barred homosexuality in the early 20th century. A budding artist struggling to surviveįrom an early age, Arondeus was no stranger to the concept of defiance.īorn in 1894 as the youngest of six siblings in Naarden, Amsterdam, Arondeus began to have constant fights with his parents over his sexuality. An openly gay man and a tireless member of the Dutch resistance against the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, he willingly sacrificed his life for a mission that ultimately protected hundreds of thousands of Jews’ lives. Related: Disneyland wouldn’t let same-sex couples dance together until a gay teen sued in the 80’sĪ battle cry of defiance and a bold assertion of his strength, Arondeus lived his life by these words. Get the best of Accidental Talmudist in your inbox: sign up for our monthly newsletter.In the final days before his execution in July 1943 at the hands of the Nazi party, Willem Arondeus asked his lawyer for one last request: to spread a message after he was gone. Only in the last 20 years has his courage become widely known.įor his efforts to save lives at the expense of his own, we honor Willem Arondeus as this week’s Thursday Hero at Accidental Talmudist. In 1986 Yad Vashem recognized Arondeus as Righteous Among the Nations.īecause of his sexual orientation, Willem’s story was omitted from Dutch history books. Willem’s last words before being executed in July, 1943 were, “Let it be known that homosexuals are not cowards.” Unfortunately, Willem was captured by the Germans and sentenced to death. The resulting blaze destroyed tens of thousands of documents, and delayed or prevented many Jews from being identified by the Nazis. Willem drugged the guards and planted a firebomb. Dressed as a German Army captain, and with 15 men behind him, Willem boldly marched into the Public Record Office, where lists identifying people as Jews were kept. He used his artistic skills to create false identity papers. Bringing in others to the cause, Willem arranged for Dutch Jews to be hidden in people’s homes. Willem was especially committed to saving Amsterdam’s Jewish community. WIllem published illegal anti-Nazi pamphlets calling for mass resistance against the Germans. Willem immediately joined the resistance movement, and urged his fellow artists to fight against the Nazi occupation. In 1940, Germany invaded the Netherlands. Willem was a well-respected author who published a popular biography of Dutch painter and political activist Matthijs Maris. He was commissioned to paint a mural for Rotterdam’s town hall, in a style that combined modern abstract painting with a traditional Dutch motif. On his own, Willem took odd jobs and eventually became a successful visual artist and writer. Their rejection led Willem to run away from home. In a time when nearly all gay people were in the closet, Willem’s parents could not accept his choice to live openly. From a young age, he was a talented artist and his parents encouraged his creativity, until he came out as homosexual at age 17. Willem Arondeus was a Dutch resistance fighter who gave his life trying to protect his Jewish countrymen from the Nazis.īorn in Amsterdam in 1895, Willem was one of six children. Home / Gay / The Gay Holocaust Hero – Willem Arondeus