Motivated by Christian values, Corrie ten Boom helped hundreds of Jews escape Nazi persecution, saving them from certain death. Corrie and her sister Betsie put up a secret room in a bedroom in their father’s house above his watch shop. Tragically, they were caught during a Gestapo raid and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp.
After the end of World War II, Corrie ten Boom established a home for Dutch Nazi collaborators and Holocaust survivors. This article provides an overview of her life and ministries, which continued through her writings until her death.
About Corrie ten Boom
Cornelia Arnolda Johanna ten Boom was born in the Netherlands in 1892. Her grandfather Willem, and her father, Casper ten Boom, were watchmakers, and Corrie was to become the first female licensed watchmaker in Holland in 1922.
Christianity played a central role in the ten Boom family household. Her parents, Casper and Cornelia, and her younger siblings Willem, Betsie, and Nollie were active members of the Dutch Reformed Church. As devoted Christians, they helped refugees and hosted prayer gatherings, with Corrie running Sunday school for Dutch children.
When World War II broke out, Corrie and other family members joined the Dutch underground movement. Using the watch shop as cover, she made contact with members of the Dutch resistance and built a secret room in her bedroom as a hiding place. The family ran this covert operation without any incident for four years. Some Jewish refugees stayed for a few hours, and some for several days before their transfer to a permanent safe location.
Corrie became a central figure in the Beje movement, a network of safe houses for Jews. Historical records suggest the Beje movement saved up to 800 people from execution and death. But an informant told the Gestapo about the family’s activities, leading to their arrest in 1944.
Casper ten Boom, then aged 84, was sent to Scheveningen Prison, where he died ten days later. Nollie and Willem were released on compassionate grounds, while Corrie and Betsie ended up in Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany. Shortly before Christmas of the same year, Betsie died, and Corrie was released.
After the war ended, Corrie returned to Holland and began devoting her life to her Christian ministry. She set up a rehabilitation center for concentration camp survivors and helped former collaborators while traveling the world with her message of forgiveness.
At the age of 85, Corrie ten Boom moved to California, where she passed away five years later after suffering a third stroke.
Best Corrie ten Boom books
Corrie ten Boom penned over thirty books. All of them center around her faith and its everyday implementation.
The Hiding Place (1971)
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God” is one of the most famous lines of Corrie ten Boom’s bestselling account of the ten Boom family’s bravery and courage.
The Hiding Place is the story of how one family remained true to their faith and risked their lives to save hundreds of Jewish refugees. Corrie ten Boom co-wrote the book with John and Elizabeth Sherrill.
Father ten Boom God’s Man (1978)
In this book, Corrie delivers a tender description of her father and the impact he had on the lives of all family members. Casper ten Boom was a man of deep faith whose beliefs led him to risk not only his life but also the lives of his loved ones.
To Corrie, her father was God’s man, a catalyst of faith in action, and a role model who fundamentally changed the course of her life.
Tramp for the Lord: The Years After the Hiding Place (1971)
Following on from the accounts in The Hiding Place, Corrie travels the world as a “tramp for the Lord,” preaching forgiveness and sharing her spirituality with people in different parts of the world.
Don’t Wrestle, Just Nestle (1979)
As the title suggests, this book provides guidance on a life lived within the Christian faith and how that can show in our everyday lives.
Corrie ten Boom wrote many spiritual books, including Amazing Love, Messages of God’s Abundance, and Jesus Is Victor.
Listen to audiobooks by Corrie ten Boom with Speechify
You can learn about Corrie ten Boom via audiobooks on Speechify. The books are accessible across all devices and available in fourteen different languages. Visit the Speechify website to discover a vast selection of fiction and non-fiction titles. After signing up, you can download the first audiobook free of charge.
Check out the creme de la creme of Corrie ten Boom titles, including The Hiding Place, Tramp for the Lord, and I Stand at the Door and Knock. You may also enjoy listening to Schindler’s List.
FAQ
What does Ten Boom mean in Dutch?
Ten Boom means “at the tree.”
How did Corrie ten Boom show forgiveness?
To Corrie ten Boom, “forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.”
After her release from a concentration camp and the end of World War II, Corrie set up a home for camp survivors and worked with Dutch people who had collaborated with the Germans.
She said that she was still learning to forgive. In The Hiding Place, she describes meeting one of the men in charge during her incarceration and hesitating to forgive him first.
Did Corrie ten Boom get married?
No, Corrie never married.
What did Corrie ten Boom do when she was a teenager?
During her childhood, the family moved to Haarlem to live upstairs from her father’s watch shop. The family members were devout Christians, and Corrie spent much of her time in service to others.
What happened to the author’s sister?
Corrie’s oldest sister Nollie married, lived close to Beje, and hid Jews at Corrie’s request. She was arrested but freed in Haarlem rather than sent to a concentration camp.
Her sister Betsie was in Ravensbrück concentration camp, where she died shortly before their release. She inspired much of Corrie’s forgiveness and later Christian ministries.
