Hasselman, Hendrik Dirk Stephaan, born 22-09-1880, in Zoelen, Netherlands, 
the son of national agricultural teacher Hendrik Dirk Stephaan (1846-1915) and Maria C.S.E. Pels Rijcken (1849-1928). His grandfather was Gerhard Christiaan Coenraad Pels Rijcken, 
soldier and Minister of the Navy. 
In 1916 Hendrik married Christina Constance Wurfbain. Before the war they lived in The Hague and had a son, Leonard Constant Hasselman Hendrik Dirk. Stephaan was 38 years old at the birth of Leonard Constant Hasselman in1919, and a daughter, Catharina Elisabeth Margaretha Hasselman, Hendrik Dirk Stephaan was 41 years old at the birth of Catharina Elisabeth Margaretha Hasselman, 1922-1947.
On 22-07-1902, Hasselman was appointed to the Wapen der Artillerie. He made it to director of the Materiel Landmacht. In 1940-1941 he was a leading figure in the first Ordedienst next to the Westerveld organization. He was also part of the Stijkelgroep and was responsible for the military part of the group. The student Johan Aaldrik “Han” Stijkel 
was one of the pioneers. Stijkel was in contact with several other locally operating illegal groups that collected and exchanged classified information. The necessary beginner mistakes were made and the occupier soon began to follow the resistance group. Dutch employees of the Sicherheitsdienst 
managed to infiltrate the group. On 02-04-1941 the group was arrested when they wanted to leave the harbor of Scheveningen. It was not until September 1942 that the group was tried before the Reichskriegsgericht in Berlin, 
and another eight months later, on 04-06-1943, the sentences were carried out. Han Stijkel, age 31 and Hendrik Hasselman were the first to be killed/executed in Berlin Tegel. Through a relationship in Berlin, another victim, Wim Wagenaar’s 
father was told in September 1943 that his son had been executed. Later this Willem Wagenaar received a list with all 32 names via the Swedish consul. He then visited all the families of those other victims to inform them of this. In 1947 he received permission to transfer the 33 remains from Berlin to the Netherlands..
The Stijkel Group was a Dutch resistance group that operated at the beginning of World War II. Student Han Stijkel, after whom the group is named, was one of the pioneers.Han Stijkel had contact with several other locally operating illegal groups that collected and exchanged secret information. A number of rookie mistakes were made and the occupier soon began to follow the resistance group. Dutch employees of the Security Service managed to infiltrate the group.In order to announce the results of their espionage work to authorities in England, Stijkel rented a fishing boat, the KW 133. In addition to Stijkel, Jean Chrétien Baud, 
Cornelis Jan Gude 
and Hendrik Gerard Stoppendaal, 
a Jewish man who wanted to flee to England would sail with them. He financed the boat trip. When they wanted to leave the port of Scheveningen on 02-04-1941, the German authorities appeared to be aware. Stijkel, Baud, Gude and Stoppendaal jumped into the water, but were arrested. After being interrogated for a few days, they were transferred to Scheveningen prison (the so-called Oranjehotel). 
They had been betrayed by the Scheveningen fishmongers Willem S. Dam and Jan van Wezel, who worked for the Security Police. These were sentenced to 20 years in prison in 1949.In the meantime, Maarten Hoek 
from Katwijk was also arrested on suspicion of espionage. He was in the Oranjehotel, cell 578, from 03-04-1941 to the beginning of March 1942. He was then in the large penitentiary until March 26. Later, more members of the group were arrested and taken to Scheveningen. A total of 47 members, four of whom were women, were arrested. They stayed in the Oranjehotel until 26-03-1942. Afterwards, almost all members were transferred to Berlin. In June they were transferred to a Wehrmacht prison right next to the Lehrter station.In September 1942 the group was tried before the Reichskriegsgericht in Berlin. 39 death sentences were handed down. Six members were pardoned and transferred to the correctional center. One member died in prison. On 04-06-1943, the other 32 were executed five minutes apart in Berlin-Tegel. Han Stijkel was the first to be killed. They were buried in Berlin-Döberitz. Through a relation in Berlin, Wim Wagenaar’s father heard in September 1943 that his son had been executed. Later, this Willem Wagenaar received a list with all 32 names from the Swedish consul. He then visited all the families of the other victims to inform them of this. In 1947 he was given permission to transfer the 33 remains from Berlin to the Netherlands.
In memory of this resistance group, a monument has been erected at the Westduin cemetery. Of the 47 men and women who were arrested in 1941, 32 were shot, the rest were sentenced to penal camps. Only 1 man and 3 women of this resistance group survived the horrors of the German concentration camps. The survivers where Tine van Deth 
(Brussels, 05-11-1899 – The Hague, 29-02-1980, age 80), arrested in 1941. Hilko Glazenburg 
(Zaandam, 04-11-1915 – Haarlem, 23-02-2005, age 89), Sachsenhausen, Wesselina van Hinte – de Bruin 
(Utrecht , 04-10-1888 – ?, 28-12-1977, age 89) and H.R. Lotgering-Hillebrand 
(Meppel, 22-03-1892 – Amsterdam, 01-03-1984, age 91).
Death and burial ground of Hasselman, Hendrik Dirk Stephaan.
A total of 47 people from Groep Stijkel were arrested at different times. Hasselman was arrested on 07-04-1941. He first ended up in the Oranjehotel, and stayed in cells 395, 408 and 96. In March 1941 he was transferred to Berlin-Tegel. 
There, 33 members of the group were sentenced to death. Hendrik, two years later, age 60, was executed with them on 04-06-1943, in Berlin-Tegel, Germany, together wit Han Sijkel..
In 1947 permission was given to transfer the remains from Berlin to the Netherlands. The photo from the collection of the Hague Municipal Archives of 01-08-1947 shows the solemn funeral procession to the Westduin cemetery in The Hague.
His grave is at the Stijkel Monument in Westduin cemetery. Section A1. A monument has been erected at the Westduin cemetery to commemorate the members of the Stijkelgroep. It has 43 sandstone crosses. The remains of 33 people who were shot in Berlin are buried there. The remains of 10 people have never been found.
Leave a Reply