LEIDEN – Leiden Heritage has made a remarkable archive publicly accessible, detailing the lives of two former resistance fighters who were also long-serving figures in local Leiden politics. The archive centers on the couple Jan van der Blom and Jacoba Maria (Cootje) Vijlbrief, both members of the Communist Party of the Netherlands (CPN), who played prominent roles in the Dutch resistance during World War II, according to archivist and historian André van Noort.
The archive spans from 1920 to 1994 and includes personal documents such as letters from women in concentration camps, notes on resistance activities, and proof of CPN membership. According to Leiden Heritage, this material represents a rare and valuable addition to historical records, given the scarcity of preserved information about communists from Leiden.
From Hiding Places to City Hall
During the war, Cootje Vijlbrief was involved in underground activities—sheltering people in hiding, forging identity papers, and distributing weapons and ammunition. In May 1944, she was arrested and deported to the concentration camps of Ravensbrück and Dachau. Following her liberation on May 1, 1945, she joined the CPN and went on to serve twenty years on the Leiden city council.
She met her husband Jan van der Blom through the resistance. He worked with the resistance group Robbers and helped circulate illegal publications. In 1983, he was awarded the Resistance Memorial Cross by Prince Bernhard. Cootje received the honor posthumously.
Political Tensions During the Cold War
Vijlbrief’s pro-Russian stance caused friction during the Cold War. In 1957, she was removed from a memorial committee over her views on the Hungarian Uprising. Nevertheless, her contributions did not go unnoticed. In 1977, she was named an honorary citizen of Leiden and later had a street named after her.
After her death in 1981, condolence cards poured in. “You had a truly exceptional woman by your side,” wrote CPN leader Marcus Bakker to her husband, “a fighter of a kind that is rare in this world.”
