Understanding Everyday Rescue: Insights from the Diary of Arnold Douwes

Arnold Douwes led a rescue network in the village of Nieuwlande, in the Dutch province of Drenthe. For fifteen months he bore sole responsibility for Jews and others in hiding, whose numbers grew thanks to the rescuers' philosophy of never refusing genuine fugitives. What makes Douwes unique is that he recorded extensive coded notes about his day-to-day thoughts and activities, burying these in jam-jars in various safe places. Crucially for our understanding of rescue, his chronicle provides in-depth insight into not only the group's heroic activities, but also the mundane work required to maintain those in hiding.