By early 1945, Groningen was a landscape of fear and defiance. Under the crushing weight of Nazi occupation, German patrols roamed the countryside, collaborators haunted every town, and daily life was marked by hunger, suspicion, and danger. But in this harsh environment, resistance fighters and underground networks rose to defy their oppressors. In Episode 5 of Woven in Courage, we explore the fierce underground war waged in and around Groningen—battles fought not only with weapons, but with courage, secrecy, and sacrifice.
This episode draws from my grandfather Fedde Visser’s wartime journals, providing rare insight into life in Nazi-occupied Groningen. His detailed records of resistance activities, troop movements, and dangerous encounters suggest he may have played a larger role in the resistance than we ever imagined.
🔹 What You’ll Hear in Episode 5:
-
The RVV and LO-Groningen: We uncover the work of two of the most vital resistance organizations in the region. The Raad van Verzet (RVV), or Council of Resistance, specialized in sabotage and targeted attacks, while LO-Groningen—the local branch of the Landelijke Organisatie voor Hulp aan Onderduikers (National Organization for Helping People in Hiding)—created lifelines for those hunted by the Nazis, including Jews, escaped forced laborers, and downed Allied pilotspage3 direct translatio…Romijn-LiberatorsPatrio….
-
The Langweer Raid – July 14, 1943: One of the most daring operations of the Dutch resistance. Resistance fighters liberated dozens of prisoners destined for deportation, in an audacious raid that shocked the occupying forces and strengthened the resolve of resistance groups across the northern provincesRomijn-LiberatorsPatrio….
-
The Raid on the Groningen Prison – December 8, 1944: As Nazi control intensified, the LO/LKP (National Organization/Armed Resistance Groups) executed a high-risk raid on the heavily guarded prison in Groningen. The objective: to free imprisoned resistance members facing torture and execution. The raid was a bold, coordinated effort that underscored the growing strength and determination of the Dutch underground in the final months of the warRomijn-LiberatorsPatrio….
-
Herman Heukels: The Collaborator Who Sold Out His Country: We reveal the sinister role of Herman Heukels, one of the most notorious Nazi collaborators in the Netherlands. Known for photographing Jewish deportations and betraying countless members of the resistance, Heukels personified the danger from within. His presence in Groningen and the surrounding region forced resistance fighters—including my grandfather—to move in silence and live under constant threatpage3 direct translatio…Romijn-LiberatorsPatrio….
-
Operation Bodenplatte – January 1, 1945: On New Year’s Day, the Luftwaffe launched its last major offensive in the west. Groningen’s skies were filled with German fighter planes targeting Allied airfields, in a desperate but devastating attempt to slow the Allied advance. Fedde Visser’s journal records the sounds of the air raids, the chaos they caused, and the rising hope that the war’s end was nearpage3 direct translatio…Romijn-LiberatorsPatrio….
-
The Nazi Propaganda War—and Operation Cornflakes: As Allied forces pushed deeper into Nazi-held territory, Germany intensified its propaganda campaigns. Operation Cornflakes, launched by the Allies, used counterfeit Nazi mail to spread anti-Hitler propaganda directly into German households. Meanwhile, Nazi radio and print continued their lies in the Netherlands, painting resistance fighters as terrorists and traitors. We examine how propaganda shaped perceptions and fueled the dangerous world my grandfather navigatedRomijn-LiberatorsPatrio…Braber-DesperationJuly1….
🔹 Why Episode 5 Is Essential Listening
This is a story of courage and survival in one of the most dangerous places in occupied Europe. Through Fedde Visser’s journals and historical records, we uncover the untold stories of resistance, betrayal, and hope in Groningen. It’s a testament to the resilience of ordinary people who became heroes in extraordinary times.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Experience Woven in Courage - Episode 5: Shadows Over Groningen.
🔜 Coming next in Episode 6: Liberation and Reckoning—As freedom returns, questions arise. Who collaborated? Who resisted? And how does a nation rebuild after war?
#WovenInCourage #WWIIHistory #DutchResistance #Groningen #NaziOccupation #FeddeVisser #RVV #LOGroningen #PrisonRaid #OperationBodenplatte #OperationCornflakes #ResistanceFighters #HistoryPodcast #NeverForget
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.