1. Marion Philippina Pritchard was a Dutch-American social worker and psychoanalyst, who distinguished herself as a savior of Jews in the Netherlands during the Second World War.
14 Facts About Marion Pritchard
1. 2.
Marion Pritchard was the daughter of liberal judge Jacob van Binsbergen, who was on the board of regents for the prisons of Amsterdam.
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Marion Pritchard's parents encouraged her to express her feelings and to expect honest answers from them.
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Marion Pritchard recalled going to school with Jews in every class and reported that they were "considered Dutch like everyone else".
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Marion Pritchard described her reaction to witnessing this event: "I was shocked and in tears, and after that I knew my rescue work was more important than anything else I might be doing".
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Marion Pritchard first began her work as part of the Dutch underground, bringing food, clothing and papers to those in hiding from the Nazis.
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Marion Pritchard secured false identification papers and ration cards for Jewish adults.
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Marion Pritchard then took on more dangerous activities when she was tasked with delivering a package to a home in the northern part of the country.
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Marion Pritchard then took shelter with a man and his wife, originally not part of the operation, who agreed to take care of her and the baby.
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Marion Pritchard's most-noted rescue occurred in late 1942 when she sheltered Fred Polak and his three children in the servants' quarters of a friend's villa in Huizen, 24 kilometres outside Amsterdam.
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Marion Pritchard saw no recourse, but to reach for a revolver and shoot the man.
12.
Marion Pritchard was secreted to a funeral home and buried in the same coffin with another person without his fate being discovered by the authorities.
13.
Marion Pritchard never discussed her activities with her parents or younger brother, lest they be endangered.
14.
Marion Pritchard died at age 96 in December 2016 from cerebral arteriosclerosis, survived by her three sons, and their progeny.