Jan Augustus
"Henk"
Gies
aka van Santen
Born in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Nederland
Ancestors 
Son of Cornelis Gies
and Wilhelmina Gezina Steenge
Husband of
Maria Margaretha Geertruida Netten
— married
13 Dec 1928 (to 7 Nov 1940) in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Nederland
Husband of
Hermine (Santrouschitz) Gies
— married
16 Jul 1941 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Nederland
Father of
Paul Gies
Died
at age 87
in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Nederland
Profile last modified
| Created 23 Jul 2014
This page has been accessed 2,272 times.
Contents |
Biography
Jan Augustus Gies is Notable.
Jan Augustus Gies was born in 1905[1]. He was the son of Cornelis Gies and Wilhelmina Gezina Steenge.[2]
He lived with his parents and siblings at the Hoogeweg 88 in Watergraafsmeer. They arrived there on May 31, 1917 from Amsterdam and left on May 3, 1919 to Amsterdam. The family consisted then of[3]:
- Cornelis Gies, 3 Feb 1868, diamantslijper
- Wilhelmina Gezina Steenge, 31 Oct 1870
- Cornelis Gies, 27 Nov 1895
- Fenna Gesiena Gies, 16 Aug 1899
- Johanna Augusta, 1 May 1904
- Jan Augustus, 18 Aug 1905
Jan Augustus married 26 year old Maria Margaretha Geertruida Netten (1902-1954) in 1928. At the time he worked as a kantoorbediende.[2] This marriage lasted up to Nov 7, 1940 when the couple had a divorce.[2]
He then married Hermine (Santrouschitz) Gies (1909-2010) in 1941, during the war.
Jan Augustus worked as the social service in Amsterdam. He started there on Jan 10, 1937 and worked his way up to Head of department unto his retirement on Nov 1, 1970.[1]
He passed away in 1993.[4] Among the obituaries published in national newspapers was one by his former employer, the social service of Amsterdam.[5]
World War II
Jan Gies, along with his second wife, Hermine (Santrouschitz) Gies (1909-2010) aka Miep Gies, was a member of the Dutch resistance during WW II. He helped Otto Frank and Miep to execute a plan that enabled the Franks, the van Pels family and Dr. Fritz Pfeffer to stay hidden from the Nazis for a little over 2 years time.
Jan Gies was born in the Netherlands in 1905, living in the south side of Amsterdam. He worked for a textile company as a young adult, and here he met Hermine "Miep" Santrouschitz, whom he befriended, courted. He married Miep on 16 July 1941, with Otto and Edith Frank in attendance.
The Franks had helped Jan and Miep find a home so they could start new lives as a married couple, and after his wife Miep started working at Otto Franks' Opekta company ( a company that made gelling agents for jams and jellies), Jan and Miep Gies would return the favor by helping the Franks find a hiding place after Otto Frank's oldest daughter, Margot, was called up for labor service.
Jan participated actively in the Dutch resistance starting in 1943. In addition to aiding in the harboring of the Franks and the other persons in the secret annex at Miep's workplace, Jan and Miep also took in a Dutch student who refused to take the German oath of allegiance.
Jan also reported daily, sharing the latest news, bringing up such things as cigars and books and obtaining rationing coupons for the hiders. Furthermore, Otto Frank's Opekta company was renamed for Jan Gies in part, to create a cover up that would allow the Franks, van Pels family and Dr. Pfeffer to continue in hiding. Jan, along with Miep, helped to hide children whose parents had been caught in hiding.
After the war ended, Jan continued, along with Miep, to participate actively in the life of Otto Frank, who was the lone survivor of the hiders in the secret annex.[6]
Jan and Miep Gies had a son, Paul, in 1950. After the war ended and for years afterward, they gave lectures about Anne Frank and resisting fascism.
Jan Gies, along with his wife, Hermine "Miep" (Santrouschitz) Gies, were named amongst the "Righteous of the Nations" by Yad Vashem.[7]
Far less seems known about Jan Gies than his wife, Miep. Nonetheless, Jan, like his wife Miep, proved to the world what to seemingly ordinary people can do in extraordinary circumstances to help those in dire need, even in the face of life and death.
Notes
- The website about Miep Gies, made by her and her son, never mentioned Jan Augustus being married at the time they met. It rather details a romantic encounter at work.[8]
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Beroep en bedrijf 1905, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Nederland. (1905-08-18), Stadsarchief Amsterdam accessed via WieWasWie Permalink, view via OpenArch
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Burgerlijke Stand Huwelijk 1928, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Nederland. Akte Reg.3G fol. 44v (1928-12-13), Noord-Hollands Archief accessed via WieWasWie Permalink
- ↑ Bevolkingsregister 1905, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Nederland. (1905-08-18), Stadsarchief Amsterdam accessed via WieWasWie Permalink, view via OpenArch
- ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #176560594
- ↑ Krantentitel Het Parool Datum 28-01-1993 Editie Dag Uitgever [s.n.] Plaats van uitgave Amsterdam PPN 412869543 Verschijningsperiode 1941-... Verspreidingsgebied Landelijk Herkomst Koninklijke Bibliotheek Nummer 14706 Jaargang 52 Toegevoegd in Delpher 11-12-2017 Delpher.nl
- ↑ Wikidata: Item Q574496, en:Wikipedia
- ↑ https://www.yadvashem.org/righteous/stories/gies.html
- ↑ Website on Miep Gies, accessed Jan 2, 2023
- Birth August 18, 1905: Birth certificate (#9649)
Is Jan Augustus your ancestor? Please don't go away!
Login to collaborate or comment, or
contact
the profile manager, or
ask our community of genealogists a question.
Login to collaborate or comment, or contact
the profile manager, or ask our community of genealogists a question.
Sponsored Search by Ancestry.com
DNA
No known carriers of Jan Augustus's DNA have taken a DNA test.
No known carriers of Jan Augustus's DNA have taken a DNA test.
Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.
Images: 1
Newspaper mentions of Jan Augustus Gies 1905-1993.
Sponsored Search
Jan Augustus is 33 degrees from Zendaya Coleman, 32 degrees from Sting Sumner, 29 degrees from Josh Brolin, 29 degrees from Timothée Chalamet, 30 degrees from José Ferrer, 30 degrees from Frank Herbert, 26 degrees from Richard Jordan, 30 degrees from David Lynch, 26 degrees from Virginia Madsen, 32 degrees from Charlotte Rampling, 34 degrees from Patrick Stewart and 29 degrees from Denis Villeneuve on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
Categories: Righteous Among the Nations | Featured Connections | Dutch Notables | Notables
We are featuring this profile in the Connection Finder this week. Between now and Wednesday is a good time to take a look at the sources and biography to see if there are updates and improvements that need made, especially those that will bring it up to WikiTree Style Guide standards. We know it's short notice, so don't fret too much. Just do what you can.
Thanks!
Abby