At the Kitchen Table and in the Back Yard

During World War II, two grandmothers resisted the occupier by using everyday household techniques. They never knew each other but are now connected in the joint project of Roosje Verschoor and Ineke Bakker. Both women demonstrated how their domestic skills could be an important weapon in silent resistance. Their courage and inventiveness not only helped them survive in a time of scarcity and oppression but also inspired their granddaughters and the generations that followed.

Ineke’s grandmother lived on a farm in Bathmen, close to the railway line. Whenever the engineer waved a white cloth, she knew it was safe and that he was coming for food. She churned butter in a milk can and often gave him a portion.

Roosje Verschoor’s grandmother, Frederika, was involved in forging identity documents. She made paper writable again after the original information had been scraped off or bleached out. With egg white powder and an iron, she smoothed the paper by ironing the powder with water.