Across Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II, resistance movements sprang up in defiance of tyranny—and while men made up much of their ranks, countless women stood alongside them in silence and bravery. These women risked torture and death to deliver secret messages, smuggle weapons, gather intelligence, sabotage enemy operations, and in some cases, take up arms themselves.
Their courage not only struck vital blows against the Nazi regime but also challenged the deeply ingrained gender roles of their time. In choosing resistance over silence, they proved that valor knows no gender—and their legacy lives on as a powerful testament to strength, sacrifice, and defiance in the face of oppression.
Freddie and Truus Oversteegen
Raised in Haarlem, Netherlands, sisters Truus and Freddie Oversteegen grew up in a home where standing up for others wasn’t optional—it was expected. Their single mother, a firm believer in justice and a committed Communist, instilled in them a deep sense of moral duty from an early age. Freddie, the younger sister, often wore her hair in braids and had an innocent look that later became a useful disguise.
In 1939, as war loomed over Europe, their mother opened their home to Lithuanian refugees and a Jewish couple fleeing the Nazis—an act that made resistance feel personal. These early experiences didn’t just shape the girls’ worldview; they prepared them for the dangerous missions they would eventually undertake—missions that required nerves of steel and a quiet kind of heroism.
Joining the Dutch Resistance
In May 1940, Germany invaded the Netherlands, beginning an occupation that lasted until the end of World War II. During this period, many Jewish people were deported, and non-Jewish citizens faced harsh conditions.
The invasion inspired Truus and Freddie to resist. With their mother’s support, they started distributing anti-German flyers and newspapers for the Resistance. Their efforts caught the attention of Frans van der Wiel, a leader in the Haarlem Resistance Group. He visited their home and asked their mother if the girls could officially join the Resistance. She agreed.
They did different jobs for the Resistance
Freddie and Truus were initially unaware of the full extent of their involvement with the Resistance. In the beginning, their assignments included sabotaging bridges and railways with dynamite, focusing specifically on the line between Ijmuiden and Haarlem. They also set fire to a German warehouse and helped smuggle Jewish children out of the country, even assisting some in escaping from concentration camps.
Their gender played a crucial role in their effectiveness, as most Resistance operations were associated with men. The Germans assumed that women were only involved in distributing newspapers and other materials. Being both female and young allowed them to operate with little suspicion.
Becoming assassins
Before long, the girls were tasked with carrying out assassinations of Germans and Dutch collaborators. Using their youthful appearance, they lured German officers into the woods – either while on patrol or in a local tavern – and shot them. According to Freddie, it was something they had to do. “It was a necessary evil, killing those who betrayed the good people,” she said.
In 1943, the sisters joined up with Hannie Schaft, a former university student who’d dropped out after refusing to sign a loyalty pledge to Germany. She’d started out with small acts, such as stealing identification cards for Jewish people. When she began assassinating Germans, she became known as “the girl with the red hair.”
Working with Hannie Schaft
The trio formed a highly effective assassination and sabotage cell, carrying out their operations with precision. In addition to targeting key figures, they concealed firearms in the baskets of their bicycles and once even raised a Communist flag at the headquarters of the National Socialist Movement. Their success in their covert activities led to a 50,000 guilder reward for their capture by the end of the war.
On March 21, 1945, Hannie was detained at a military checkpoint in Haarlem while in possession of the banned Communist newspaper, de Waarheid. After intense interrogation, she was executed by Dutch authorities on April 17, 1945. Following the war, Hannie was given a hero’s burial with honors, attended by Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Bernhard. Today, more than 15 cities in the Netherlands commemorate her legacy with streets bearing her name.
Post-war struggles
Truus and Freddie never revealed how many people they killed throughout the duration of their Resistance work. When asked, Freddie replied that they were soldiers and soldiers don’t reveal such details.
Following the war, Freddie and Truus struggled with the trauma of their friend’s death and the murders they’d committed. To cope, Truus became an artist and spoke at war memorial services. Freddie coped “by getting married and having babies,” yet nothing could help the insomnia she suffered.
The sisters were awarded the War Mobilization Cross
The sisters didn’t receive much recognition for their wartime efforts right away, largely because they were labeled as Communists. It wasn’t until 1967 that Truus was honored as Righteous Among the Nations by the State of Israel—a prestigious award given to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
Years later, in April 2014, the Dutch government officially acknowledged their bravery by awarding them the War Mobilization Cross.
Both sisters have since passed away. Truus died on June 18, 2016, and Freddie followed on September 5, 2018.