Ann Marie Holzapfel

Anne Marie Holzapfel, born in Driebergen on March 29, 1940, grew up amid the harrowing backdrop of World War II with her mother and five sisters. Her father was taken by the Germans in 1944, leaving her mother to raise the six daughters alone. 

Anne Marie’s first clear memory of freedom was running onto the main street, filled with people waving Dutch flags and Canadian tanks adorned with boys and girls. The Canadian soldiers, who were their liberators, became a comforting presence, offering the children chocolate and visiting their home as friends. One soldier, Mr. Bachelor, even offered to adopt Anne Marie, moved by her mother’s struggle to provide adequately for her children.

The war’s influence had a profound impact on Ann Marie, particularly the uncertainty surrounding her father’s fate after he was taken to the 'Oranje Hotel' prison camp and never returned. The 'Hunger Winter' combined with growing up without a father cast a long shadow over Anne Marie’s childhood and encroached on her entire life