At just 14, 16, and 18, sisters Truus and Freddie Oversteegen and their friend Hannie Schaft became brave resistance fighters against the Nazis during WWII. With their lives on the line, they carried out some of the most dangerous missions in the resistance, standing up against tyranny and leaving a legacy that has inspired women all over the world. Follow us on Instagram @watchhercookpodcast Sources: Brady, Tim. Three Ordinary Girls. Kensington, 2024. This Teenager Killed Nazis With Her Sister During WWII Schaft, Hannie (1920–1945)- Encyclopedia Overlooked No More: Hannie Schaft, Resistance Fighter During World War II Hannie Schaft, the redheaded girl Her War Never Stopped Hannie Schaft: the Dutch spy who was executed by the Nazis Freddie Oversteegen, Teenage Resistance Fighter Who Assassinated Nazis, Has Died at 92 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the purpose and origin of the Watch Her Cook podcast?
When you drop a stone into water, it makes a tiny splash. But then the ripple begins. Waves radiate outwards, reaching places the stone never intended to touch. A spark ignites a wildfire. A snowflake triggers an avalanche. And one bold statement becomes a movement. That's the power of the ripple effect.
In 2024, a TikTok user made her waves when she posted a video stating, I'm not a feminist. I can actually cook. And women everywhere heard it and responded. Social media was flooded with videos of women showcasing their talents that extended far beyond the kitchen. Building, designing, leading, performing, teaching, and inventing. And from that moment, Watch Her Cook was born.
Watch Her Cook, derived from the phrase Let Them Cook, is a podcast that celebrates women who've defied the odds, shattered expectations, disrupted the status quo, and changed the world. These women didn't just break barriers, they rewrote the script. And in an unexpected plot twist, became the masterminds, not just the victims, in tales of crime and intrigue.
Empowered women empower the world, and there is no better time than now to share the stories of the women of our past to inspire the women of our present. We'll be releasing new episodes every Wednesday. Welcome to Watch Her Cook.
Chapter 2: Who are the hosts of Watch Her Cook and what inspired them to start this podcast?
Hello, everyone. I'm Cassie. And I'm Danielle. You may know us from National Park After Dark, a podcast that explores the true crime tales of the outdoors, which, don't worry, is not going anywhere.
But we want to officially welcome you to Watch Her Cook, a podcast dedicated to sharing the incredible lives of women who have taken their power back throughout history.
Yes, and this podcast has been a long time coming because if you are coming over here from National Park After Dark, you know that we tell a lot of stories about different people throughout history, but we surround it with national parks and national forests and all that good stuff.
And during our research, we kept coming across stories specifically of women that we were so interested in telling but never quite fit the narrative of these outdoor wild spaces and that we know and love. But these stories just felt so important that we were almost pulling our hair out of, how do we tell this on National Park After Dark?
And we kind of came to this conclusion that we can't tell it on National Park After Dark. It doesn't fit. And that this actually deserves its own podcast. And thus, Watch Her Cook has been Born, and you are here for the very first episode.
Yeah, so it's been cooking for a long time. And I guess the question that we should answer right off the bat is, why now? If we've been... Thinking of this for years and just have this running list going that we've been compiling over time, like why did we decide to launch Watch Her Cook now?
Now is the best time to highlight stories of women throughout history and into the present to remind us all of the power of women and the differences that women can make and continue to make.
And during a time where not just here, US-based, because that's where we live, but throughout the world, that there are a lot of women who are going through uncertain times and shaky times and times where the future is uncertain. And there's a lot of questions around what's next for women, what is in store for us.
And while we aren't here to necessarily answer that, we're here to give insight into stories of the past that will really bolster our present.
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Chapter 3: Why is now the right time to highlight women's stories in history?
We're going to dive into all of it, no matter what it is. And today, we're really excited because this particularly has been a story that has been on our list of how we could get this onto National Bark After Dark, which was just never going to happen, but has been in our mind and we've been wanting to cover. And this is a mix of empowering women and also some darker things. So
It's a good episode to start off on. And today we've got not one, not two, but three women that we are going to highlight.
That's right. Today we are telling you all about Hanni Schuft and sisters Truis and Freddy Overstegen, who were resistance fighters during World War II in Nazi-occupied Netherlands.
They were recruited as teenagers after the Nazi invasion in 1940 and went on to carry out bold missions like hiding Jewish people, guiding children to safe houses to escape deportation, smuggling weapons, and courageously luring German soldiers into secluded places to take them out. Their courage and cleverness were crucial in the fight against the Nazis.
Before diving into the story, let's talk more about where this all took place. During World War II, the Netherlands were a neutral party. Initially, the Dutch didn't want to pick a side. They weren't planning on getting involved in the conflict at all.
Because the Netherlands were not taking the side of the Germans, they ended up becoming invaded by them, leaving the Dutch no other option than to become involved with the war, and thus began their fight against the Nazis.
The Netherlands was occupied by the Nazis for about five years. During that time, the Dutch Resistance formed, groups of courageous people who opposed the regime and fought back in whatever way they could. It was one of the darkest times in history, and during it, our three women, Truis, Freddy, and Hannie became key figures in the Resistance.
But let's backtrack a little bit and talk about how Freddie and Truist grew up, because this is pertinent to the story. They were raised in Harlem, a city just outside of Amsterdam, by their single mother. Their mom had strong socialist beliefs and felt passionately about standing up for those who were oppressed.
She was a communist who took Jewish refugees into their home during the war, even though this put them all at risk.
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Chapter 4: Who were Truus and Freddie Oversteegen and Hannie Schaft in WWII resistance?
I think it really brings forth and sets the scene of how evil this time was. Because if a 16-year-old and a 14-year-old are able to seduce grown men Nazi soldiers. That's just a whole nother thing where it's just all of it is really hard and it's really awful what's going on.
And the fact that they're recruited and they're doing this and they're fighting for the Jewish people in their country and for the Netherlands at such a young age is really incredible. And I feel like I could say that so many times, but it just blows me away how young they were.
Yeah. That's especially pertinent to this story too, because they're going to go on to do a lot of other things, but let's just all keep in mind their ages. What were you doing at 16? You know? Yeah.
Just think about that. Getting my driver's license.
The first place I ever went to with my driver's license was Dunkin' Donuts and not much has changed. So let's go back to our story.
Are you looking for a podcast where you can learn about the juiciest historical events and people, but it really feels like you're just gossiping with your girlfriends over a glass of wine or two?
Well, that's why we created Right Answers Mostly, for what you didn't learn in history class, but you really wanted to. I'm your host, Claire Donald. And I'm Tess Belomo. Join us every Monday as we dive into the most iconic people and events and get ready to laugh along the way.
We cover it all, from Titanic to Kris Jenner, Studio 54, Marie Antoinette, even cults and crimes such as Charles Manson and Jonestown, every Monday, wherever you listen to your podcast. Because history is just gossip.
Follow us at Right Answers Mostly for more.
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Chapter 5: What was the historical context of the Netherlands during WWII?
The sisters used their bikes as a tool to carry out many of their resistance operations. It allowed them to deliver messages and execute sabotage missions, like carefully placing explosives on tracks or under bridges to weaken the Nazis' military operations. It also gave them the ability to smuggle people to safety, all while staying under the radar.
In fact, smuggling refugees into safe houses became part of Chura's and Freddie's daily routine. These safe houses were often hidden in plain sight, like private homes, barns, and basements. But the real challenge was getting to them. They had to avoid detection from Nazis, collaborators, and spies. Getting caught meant death, not just for them, but for the people they were trying to protect.
And they did this all on their bikes, hiding refugees under large blankets, inside bags, or even in the bike frames themselves.
Although they were afraid, their sense of duty overweighted. Freddie once recalled how she, quote, and that the fear was louder than anything else.
Despite the constant danger and narrow escapes, their courage only grew stronger, and it wasn't long before they crossed paths with another young woman whose bravery would forever change their lives, Hani Schuft. Janneke Joanna Schuft, who went by Hani after she joined the resistance, grew up in the northern part of Harlem and was known for her bright red hair.
During the war, she studied law at the University of Amsterdam with hopes of becoming a human rights lawyer.
Hani's fight against the regime started with small but impactful acts. This included sending packages of food and other necessities to Polish soldiers imprisoned by the Germans through a Red Cross program. She would also steal ID cards from non-Jewish people and distribute them to her Jewish friends to help disguise them.
In 1941, when Jewish people were banned from walking in a local park, Hani made a simple yet profound choice to also refrain from walking through the park. It was quiet acts of defiance like this that planted the seed for her eventual role in the resistance movement.
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Chapter 6: How did the Oversteegen sisters get involved in the resistance and what missions did they undertake?
In 1943, the Nazis demanded that university students sign a, quote, pledge of loyalty to the German occupation, swearing allegiance to the Nazi regime and its leaders. While many complied, Hani refused. But her decision came at a cost, and she was forced to drop out of the University of Amsterdam.
After this, Hani moved back in with her parents, bringing along her two Jewish friends, Sonia Frank and Feline Polak, to find them a safe place to hide from the Nazis.
This is when Hani joined the Rad Van Verzet, RVV for short, or the Council of Resistance, which was a national overall organization for Dutch resistance groups. One of her first assignments with the RVV was to eliminate an officer from the German secret police. Hany was terrified, but she took a deep breath and fired her gun, only for the sound of a click to echo. Nothing happened.
It was at that moment the officer turned around and introduced himself as Franz Vanderweel, the commander of the resistance group. It was all a test, and Hany had passed it.
It didn't take long before Hany met other members of the resistance, including Truis and Fredi. The three of them navigated the chaos of the war together, growing an inseparable bond.
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Chapter 7: What were the risks and emotional challenges faced by these teenage resistance fighters?
I just have to say that we were talking a little bit about small acts of defiance and how they can snowball and create change and grow. And I think the first person that comes to mind for me with that is somebody we all grew up learning about, which was Rosa Parks. But recently I learned about Claudette Colvin. Do you know her story?
Yeah, she was another. I think it happened, what, a month before Rosa Parks where she did essentially the same thing where she refused to give up her seat and was arrested as well.
Yeah, it was less than a year before Rosa Parks. And I just think that it's those little small acts that in the moment might not seem huge, but clearly we're still learning about the impacts of those however many decades later.
Yeah. And earlier we mentioned in the story where Honey, the first thing she started with the resistance was she was just helping giving the resistance food and doing small things that meant big things to people who needed it. But in a resistance standpoint was pretty small. She wasn't standing up to anyone. She was just helping support the resistance. And then it
snowballed into something much larger than that and I just have to say also when you heard the gasp I gasped when you started talking about how she was tested and she decided to pull the trigger her first liquidation and it ends up being one the gun doesn't go off your first the first thing in your head must be like oh my god what is going on I just really messed up and then you turn around and you meet
the commander they're like welcome you've passed the test just like i didn't know i was being tested but thankfully uh that's done and we can move on because that was frightening i mean she must have thought her life was over like okay i have no weapon i just tried to assassinate somebody that's it but it worked out it worked out and i just already this story just has me on my toes
And on that note, Hani's work on the resistance earned her a spot on the Nazis' most wanted list, and she became known as the girl with the red hair. Hani's first major act of resistance took place in November of 1943, when she joined fellow resistance members Jan Bonkamp and Jan Brasser and another RVV operative in an attempt to sabotage a power plant.
Although the mission was unsuccessful, it served as a morale booster that people were fighting to protect. In June 1944, Hani and Bonekamp were selected to carry out an assassination in Zandam, targeting Dutch police officer Willem Ragu. Ragu wasn't just any collaborator, he was notorious for his brutality. He was actively hunting down Jewish people, rounding them up,
and handing them over to the Nazis. His role in arresting and deporting countless innocent civilians made him one of the most despised figures amongst the resistance. So, Hani and Jan set out to eliminate him.
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Chapter 8: How did the sisters use bicycles and other methods to carry out resistance work and help refugees?
Yeah. I mean, I feel like it came down to, yes, this is dangerous to fight this and to be part of the resistance, but it's more dangerous to not be a part of it because of what is happening in the world. And she just perseveres through everything. And I just think it's incredible. And not just her, but also Truist and Freddie as well.
They're doing some really incredible and scary work for the resistance. I totally agree. After a valiant run, Hani was caught on March 21st, 1945, while distributing the illegal communist newspaper, Die Wahrheit, at a military checkpoint in Harlem. But the newspaper was merely a front. She was actually carrying secret documents critical to the resistance.
At the time, Hani had been working closely with her co-worker, Anna Weinhof, who allegedly later betrayed her. Following her arrest, Hani was taken to a prison in Amsterdam, where she endured relentless interrogation and torture at the hands of her captors.
Tragically, it was the red peeking through the roots of her hair that ultimately gave away her identity, and Anna was allegedly the one who turned her in. On April 17, 1945, just 18 days before the Netherlands was liberated, Hannie was led to be executed in the dunes near Overveen, a village close to Bloemendaal.
Two Dutch Nazi officials, known as Matthijs Schmitz and Maarten Kuyper, took her to the execution site. Schmitz shot her in the head at close range. However, the bullet only grazed Hannie. It's alleged that she exclaimed, I shoot better or I'm a better shot. Kuyper then took out his submachine gun and fired a burst at Schuft, after which she immediately collapsed and died.
The last time Truist and Freddie saw Honey was before her arrest in March of 1945. The Nazis were closing in on the resistance, and Truist and Freddie could feel it. Freddie even said they all knew, deep down, that it was coming.
Once they received the news that Honey had been arrested, it hit them that the end was near. After everything they had been through, everything they fought for, to hear that was crushing.
After the war, Hani was reburied at a cemetery of honor in Bloemendaal. In November 1945, she was given a state funeral attended by Queen Wilhelmina, Princess Juliana, and Prince Bernhard, who called her the, quote, symbol of the resistance. She received the Wilhelmina Resistance Cross along with a posthumous Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian award in the United States.
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Chapter 9: Who was Hannie Schaft and how did she contribute to the Dutch resistance movement?
A statue of her standing as a hero was later unveiled in the honor of her in Canal Park, located in Harlem. Schools and streets were named after her and a foundation was created in her memory.
After the war, Truist became a strong advocate for preserving the memory of the resistance. She remained in activism and dedicated much of her life to educating younger generations about the sacrifices made during the war, leading speaker events for students. Freddie got married and lived a quieter life.
The war had a lasting impact on her, but she spoke about her experiences when it was important to honor the memory of those who fought for freedom. Both sisters passed away at age 92, spending their final years in the Netherlands.
They have been widely recognized since the war and have received several honors. Truist was awarded the Dutch Resistance Memorial Medal, the Medal of Merit, and the Yad Vashem Award for saving Jewish lives. She was passionate about sharing her story and detailed her experiences in a memoir called Not Then, Not Now, Not Ever.
She additionally founded the National Hanischuft Foundation in honor of her friend. Freddie was also awarded the Resistance Memorial Medal and the Yad Vashem Award. She worked hard to ensure women's contributions to the resistance were recognized, and she spoke out when it was important to honor those who fought for freedom. She served as a board member for Hani's foundation.
It's honorable how both sisters continued to educate future generations about their experiences. They truly left a lasting legacy.
And they have such a powerful story. I'm glad that we got to dive into an episode on World War II and explore the bravery of this trio.
It's pretty fitting that we did a World War II episode first, seeing as how that is such a big point of interest for you and such a period in time where you're so drawn to.
Yeah, I've been begging on National Park After Dark to talk about World War II in any capacity. I'm like, how can we get this into the show? And it's just hard because there are national parks that are dedicated and remember World War II stories, but to dive into it in this way was never... Something that we've found so far.
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