The hiding place

Willem van Maaren

Van Maaren

Willem Van Maaren takes over as warehouse manager in 1943 when the previous manager, Johan Voskuijl, falls seriously ill. He’s unaware of the people hiding in the building, but he's an inquisitive type and becomes suspicious. The people in the Secret Annex notice that he's setting traps in the warehouse. He places papers on the corners of tables so that they fall off if you walk past. Willem van Maaren is a suspect in two investigations into the betrayal of the people in the Annex, in 1948 and 1963. But no conclusive proof ever came to light.

No evidence of betrayal

Willem van Maaren is one of the suspects in a 1948 investigation into how the people in the Annex were betrayed. The investigation was shelved because no evidence could be found. A 1963 investigation was much more thorough.

More...

10 August 1895

Willem is born in Amsterdam.

1943

Willem takes over from Johan Voskuijl as warehouse manager.

1948

Willem is a suspect in an investigation into who betrayed the people in the Annex.

1963

Willem is once again a suspect when the investigation is reopened. But again, there’s a lack of evidence.

28 November 1971

Willem dies in Amsterdam. 

Jo Kleiman

Always cheerful and upbeat, despite being plagued by stomach ulcers

More...

Victor Kugler

Victor, with Jo, takes care of security and finances for the people hiding in the Annex.

More...

What Anne writes about Willem

"Kleiman, who has been here in the meantime, Kugler and the two men have been looking into the question of how to get this fellow out of the place from every possible angle. Downstairs they think it is too risky. But isn’t it even riskier to leave things as they are?"